The proposal to change the approved Multiple Occupancy (MO) at 84 Blindmouth Road, Main Arm, development application (DA 10.2020.242.1), to a Community Title (CT), which Council staff have recommended for approval, has raised significant concerns for the Main Arm Rural Residents Association (MARRA).
MARRA say that by changing to a CT each of the 12 MO lots are seeking secondary dwelling entitlements which will increase the number of houses on the property to 24.
An unserviced rural valley
‘Main Arm village has 19 houses,’ a MARRA spokesperson told The Echo. ‘This proposal alone wants 24 houses in an unserviced rural valley. It is going to be bigger than the existing village!’
In Tweed Shire the use of MO and rural land sharing developments has been removed as there were multiple incidences of these planning instruments being used to implement subdivisions of rural land that would not have otherwise been permitted.
MARRA has asked why Byron Shire Councillors are allowing this ‘back door process’ for rural subdivision to be pursued rather than ensuring the developers follow the correct pathways for subdivision, which is to restrict this intensive type of residential development to its designated place in Main Arm village.
No local support
‘There is no local support for this CT in Blindmouth and the Council has removed the distance (100m) between main dwellings and secondary dwellings. This will result in potentially, 24 houses spread out over the entire property, creating a new semi-urban village in a RU2 zone area,’ said MARRA.
‘When this development was just an MO, there was a chance that the dwellings would be affordable. A CT price will be unaffordable to the many with the greatest need.’
You cannot get a mortgage against an MO share which assists in keeping prices for this type of land and housing more affordable.
Cats and dogs
As part of the request to change from MO to CT the DA also seeks to modify a range of consent conditions, including allowing dogs and cats on the property.
‘The application seeks permission to remove the ban on dogs and cats, this is a major concern as the property is very close to Inner Pocket Nature Reserve’.
MARRA have also highlighted the fact that there is nothing to prohibit short-term holiday letting in the DA, particularly in relation to secondary dwellings.
Concerns in relation to flooding, water supply and sewerage have also been raised.
‘This development has no town or other significant water supply, no mains sewerage, inadequate mains electricity, and no internet or mobile phone reception,’ they point out.
‘This DA has included the construction of a dam on a natural creek.
There is no information or report regarding the impact on the creek and on species dependent on it.
Main Arm is a known major fooding area and is also the main arm of the Brunswick River. Building dams without consideration for natural waterflow and the animals that live and use these waterways has caused many problems in Main Arm over the years.’
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