It is now ten years since the latest Iron Gates development application (DA), a period that includes a refusal by the Northern Regional Planning Panel (NRPP), and a decision by the Land and Environment Court (L&EC) that the ‘modification’ to the DA was ‘in effect, a new application’ – yet the developers behind the Evans Head, Iron Gates proposal continue to appeal against the DA’s refusal.
Dr Gates, a spokesperson for Evans Head Residents for Sustainable Development, said today that despite this being the tenth year for the DA and all its iterations, ‘the community is not going away anytime soon’.
‘While many of us are sick to death with just how long this process has gone on without resolution, and at a very substantial financial, social and emotional cost to the community, we also recognise just how important it is for this unfortunate development to be defeated,’ he said.
Community comment
The financial backers of the DA, represented by Corrs Chambers Westgarth, took over from Graham Ingles’ company Goldcoral Pty Ltd after Mr Ingles put the property up for sale following a receiver and manager being appointed. They are continuing the appeal and the current round before the public for comment is the sixth attempt to get the 2014 DA approved.
The community has 21 days to comment on the proposed changes put forward by the developer.
Shelter in place
Acknowledging the flood risk of the site the developer has now proposed a shelter in place (SIP) policy, as suggested as part of the refusal by the NRPP in 2022 to deal with flooding issues for residents trapped by flood waters.
‘The state has no SIP policy and the model proposed by consultants is, in my view, nothing short of a joke with those buying land having to contribute compulsorily to the development of a shelter in place on the Iron Gates property, contribute to its upkeep and train various land owners to deal with a myriad of complex flooding issues which might arise,’ Dr Gates told The Echo.
‘There’s no tying of the proposal to the extensive scientific literature in the field nor testing of the model to see if all the moving parts actually work in terms of various scenarios known to occur from other experiences around the world including Australia. From a psychological and human factors perspective the proposal is a nightmare.
To Alstonville on flooded roads?
‘To make matters worse the new material also puts a proposal for flood evacuees to go to high ground at Alstonville via Broadwater along the Woodburn-Evans Head Road, a road which was closed during the 2022 flood,’ explained Dr Gates.
‘I wonder what Ballina Shire Council and the people of Alstonville have to say about 400 to 600 potential flood refugees from Evans Head?
‘The NSW government needs to step up and protect the public interest by rezoning the land to a more appropriate zoning in keeping with its environmental and cultural properties. This is not residential land and never should be. This 40-year nonsense cycle has to stop.’
Court Hearings are available to the public online.
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