A large development proposal (DA 10.2024.230.1) for two homes by Rae’s Residents Pty Ltd at Wategos is on public exhibition, prompting concerns by neighbours over the potential removal of littoral rainforest, and a threatened ecological community.
Plans for 2 Brownell Drive were submitted by consultants on behalf of owner, Antony Catalano.
$28.7m proposal
The $28.7m proposal is located on 4,223.52m2 of native vegetated area.
One home would have six bedrooms, while the other would have four.
Both are multi-level dwellings. With one dwelling exceeding the nine-metre height limit (a quantitative 12.6 per cent increase), a height variation request is also sought. Variations are also sought for the basement and excavation.
According to the Biodiversity Development Assessment Report, ‘The project footprint will impact approximately 0.34ha of degraded remnant vegetation through the centre of the site, with approximately 0.06ha of higher quality vegetation on the eastern and western boundaries retained’.
‘This removal of 0.34ha of vegetation will result in a minor reduction to suitable foraging, sheltering and roosting habitat for a range of threatened fauna species which may use the site periodically’.
The loss of habitat and connectivity is ‘considered minor’, say the report authors.
And while ‘61 trees are to be removed’, the site will be extensively landscaped, ‘with predominately endemic species that primarily reflect littoral rainforest on the site’.
Seven biodiversity offset ecosystem credits are suggested, as ‘serious and Irreversible Impact entities identified as candidate species will be required to be offset’.
The Coombebara Land Alliance resident group told The Echo the site is the last piece of undeveloped littoral rainforest in Wategos.
Storm water catchment
They say, ‘historically, after Byron Shire Council created the residential subdivision at Wategos in 1961, the site was mapped as a Council storm water catchment area’.
‘Two main waterways run through the site carrying large volumes of water from the top of The Cape Byron Conservation Area down to the ocean.
‘It was later designated Crown Land Reserve, then returned to the Arakwal People following a landmark Native Title lands claim and Indigenous Land Use Agreement, and then private developers took title in 2019’.
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