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Byron Shire
March 29, 2024

150 houses to be built at West Byron after Council and developer settle case

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Byron Council has reached a court-based agreement with one of the West Byron developers that will result in 150 houses being built on the green field site.

West Byron rally June 16, 2018. Photo Jeff Dawson

In an outcome which dramatically reduces the number of houses to be built on the site but nevertheless brings significant environmental and traffic impacts, the council and Villa World Pty Ltd formally reached an agreement following mediation last month.

The agreement, which was formally ratified by the Land and Environment Court yesterday (Tuesday), includes the staged subdivision of 149 residential lots, including four larger ‘lifestyle lots’.

It also involves the creation of seven ‘green infrastructure lots’, together with ‘vegetation removal, earthworks, landscaping, creation of public reserves, roads, environmental management and protection’.

The agreement also involves a raft of conditions, many of which are designed to reduce the environmental impact of the development, including protection works and ongoing maintenance.

The agreement to allow around 150 houses on the site is a major reduction from the original plan proposed by the developer.

However, for those who have long fought against the development, the decision is a major blow, as it leaves very few options for appeal, particularly given that Council agreed to the deal.

The fight against development at West Byron has spanned decades.

The most recent court case was an appeal by Villa World against the refusal of their Development Application by the Northern Regional Planning Panel.

A second court case, involving another developer made up of local landowners, is still on foot.

Yesterday’s judgment paves the way for a similar deal to potentially be struck with that developer.

More to come


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10 COMMENTS

  1. Sad news for all except a few developer types. It seems the council didn’t waste that money on the new roundabout entrance at Ozigo. Hmmm…

  2. sleep, byron shire council, sleep
    & dream of counting sheep
    jumping on fields coloured brown…
    bastardised from “sleep, australia, sleep” – sorry, Paul Kelly.
    yes, utterly sorry.

  3. There is no reprieve for the native species extinctions on site for this and the other half of the proposed developments in West Byron. Cutting a deal devoid of Green principle is a tragedy but unfortunately what I have come to expect. the massive rate of development is rendering Byron Shire a mere (noisy) shadow of its former self.

  4. I hope the consent includes a proviso they pay for duplication of ewingsdale road, at least from Ozigo to town, or is that to much to expect…

  5. If you were a koala, (or other wildlife species) regardless of being a no cat or dog area, would you want to live adjacent to 150 houses x approximately 3 people per dwelling, cars, leaf blowers, mowers & other human noise?
    Also, just can’t wait to sit in traffic jam along Ewingsdale Road!

    • Approximately 3 people per dwelling? So we’re not expecting any of these places to be holiday lets owned by out-of-towners?

  6. Another Pro-Development decision by the Council. How are you going to explain another pro-development decision, this time Simon Richardson?

  7. The little village Community cries Nnooooo yet the villains world still take the goose and lay it on the alter of greed and then they gut it searching for the golden eggs.
    The blood of the slain goose spills into the land and contaminates the Village covering everything that makes the village special

    (Spoiler alert )

    In the end we have a sad village and no one wants to visit any more because In the villains World they-have killed all the golden egg laying geese
    There are lessons to be learnt from fairy tales

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