A new development has been approved for Akuna Street, set to bring more apartments and commercial sites. Photo: Keeli Dyson.
A new shop-top housing development will bring 38 new apartments to Kiama’s town centre, with council giving the tick of approval for work to progress on an Akuna Street site.
A public carpark will soon be transformed into a multilevel housing and commercial development after Kiama Council voted to approve a DA for the new project at 14 Akuna Street.
The application for the infrastructure was originally lodged in 2024 but was withdrawn at the recommendation of council staff due to issues with potential groundwater contamination and pollution, sustainability, form, scale and design as well as car parking and waste collection concerns.
After amendments and redesigns, the project was back on the table, with staff recommending to councillors that it be supported.
“This development was originally withdrawn because of concerns and issues raised with it and the proactive response of our staff in getting a better development I think should be noted,” Councillor Matt Brown said during the recent council meeting.
The building is set to slightly exceed the height limits in the area due to the slope of the site with strict adherence to the limits requiring further excavation.
At the public access forum, resident Shane Worth expressed concern about the impact on neighbours and parking, despite 93 car spaces being included in the development.
“Anyone who thinks we’ve got enough parking has never been to Kiama,” he said.
“It’s to be built on a place which currently has about 53 public parking which will be reduced to nothing, so they’ll end up parking in our street and other streets around town.”
In response to similar concerns within the business paper, staff explained that “the subject site is in private ownership and not required to be a public carpark” and that “there are no legal right of way arrangements on the title of the land for public parking, access or roadways. There are no legal obligations to preserve or provide access through the site to adjoining properties”.
In response to a question raised in the council meeting on the impact for residents, Kiama Council Director of Strategies and Communities Ed Paterson said measures had been put in place by the developer to reduce the effect for neighbouring properties.
“I can’t really comment on how it will directly impact the neighbours because it’s always going to impact people differently but the quantitative assessment that has been undertaken is there is compliance with set-back requirements in both council’s development control plan and the apartment design guide,” Mr Paterson said.
“As you can see in the enclosure with the plans, louvres and privacy screens are proposed on the balconies. The properties on Bong Bong Street sit quite higher than this site on Akuna Street so it’s not as if all units are looking in over balconies and backyards so a relative and reasonable privacy is maintained as per our development control plan.”
Councillors unanimously voted to approve the development application.
The use of the three commercial units would be subject to a later DA.
