MAAS, the developers of the legacy or zombie DA that has reared its head in Tringa Street, Tweed Heads on the Cobaki Estuary of Tweed River has now referred their development application (DA) modification, to relocate their access road, under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act at the Department of Climate Energy Environment and Water.
The DA for this site was originally approved in 1996 and recently saw MAAS, a Dubbo based developer, purchase the property last year for $20m+. They then began clearing the site, without a referral to the EPBC Act, outraging locals who said the site was a known koala habitat.
At the time of the site approval for an industrial subdivision 27 years ago the developer was required to purchase council land for a dedicated road, which they did and this was designated in 2000. However, they have never built the road on the southern boundary. In May 2019 Tweed councillors sought ‘detailed specifics of the access road…’ but this was never provided.
In 2012 there was an approved amendment to the DA for a temporary access on this route but this lapsed on 29 November, 2014 and was never built.
According to people familiar with the site there has only ever been a narrow track, no formed road, along the road reserve at the north east boundary to the sewage treatment plant (STP).
In 2008 the then developers did attempt to get this alternative route approved however the site has significant constraints as an access route including major power infrastructure that links to areas like the Tugun Tunnel, a pocket of mature vegetation, and a tidal channel that runs the entire length of of the northern boundaries of the subdivision site, the STP and road reserve. It is understood that the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) refused permission to go ahead with the alternative road proposal.
The original DA included no approval for any residential accommodation at the site.
There are currently eight days left to comment on the application to move the access to the site from the southern to northern border. To see the application and comment go to: the EPBC Act Public Portal.
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