AFTER almost 10 years in the making, Wingecarribee Shire has a new Local Environmental Plan (LEP).
NSW Planning Minister Tony Kelly said the new planning regime, as gazetted on Wednesday, would support the housing and employment needs of shire residents and protect the area’s distinct rural character.
Mr Kelly said the plan represents a decade of effort by Wingecarribee Council to update and modernise its existing plan, which is now more than 20 years old.
“The LEP reinforces the role of Bowral, Mittagong and Moss Vale as the shire’s commercial centres by concentrating new housing and an additional 29 hectares of commercial land near these centres,” he said.
“By doing this, it helps support continuing green breaks of rural and environmental resource land between these townships.
“Through appropriate zoning, the plan also protects the Shire’s valuable natural assets– including key rock and extractive resources, agricultural lands as well as Sydney’s drinking water catchment, which covers 90 per cent of the area.
“The LEP also zones 570 hectares of land for industrial purposes in the Moss Vale Enterprise Corridor, which will help attract new industries and investment to the Shire and jobs for local residents.”
The NSW Government has previously provided $50,000 in funding to help council plan for the enterprise corridor and a further $230,000 for the entire LEP.
In addition, the Government in January provided a $2.65 million interest-free loan from the Local Infrastructure Fund to assist road access and sewage provision to the enterprise corridor.
The Minister said the new LEP builds on council’s strategic planning work to date, including the Wingecarribee Our Future Strategic Plan, which has been endorsed by the Department, and implements the objectives of the Government’s Sydney-Canberra Corridor Regional Strategy.
In particular, it contributes toward achieving the target for Wingecarribee Shire of 8700 new dwellings to 2031 as outlined in the regional strategy, by providing around 2800 new infill dwellings; and reflecting the recent rezoning of land at Renwick and Broughton Street, Moss Vale, to deliver up to 1000 homes for short term housing needs.
Mr Kelly said the plan also identifies the Chelsea Gardens site at Moss Vale, which is currently the subject of a separate LEP being considered by council, as future urban land consistent within council’s strategic plan.
“Additionally, council has advised it intends to prepare a new planning strategy to establish how it will, in the future, meet the dwelling targets in the regional strategy, which are of course long-term goals to be met over the course of the next two decades,” Mr Kelly said.
“The provision of infill development in council’s plan will also provide a range of housing options, including smaller dwellings to meet the needs of the shire’s expected ageing population.”
The Shire’s over-65 population is expected to increase by more than 11,100 people by 2031.
The Minister also amended the plan prior to approval to include seniors housing as allowable development at the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart site at Bowral.
This would reflect the fact the Department has declared a seniors living application for the site as a major project, although it is still under assessment and no decision has yet been made.
The plan also retains the existing 40 hectare minimum lot size, consistent with the council’s Rural Lands Study; Protects the Shire’s rich cultural and Aboriginal heritage, including 40 State heritage listed items, 16 heritage conservation areas and seven archaeological sites; and reflects the mapped regional wildlife corridors through the Shire, according to the Minister.
Wingecarribee mayor Duncan Gair welcomed the long-awaited plan.
“After countless meetings, two general managers, three council terms, two community exhibitions, and hundreds of public submissions, it is nice to know that we have finally crossed the line,” he said.
A link to the Wingecarribee LEP 2010 is now available in the Planning and Development section of Council’s website www.wsc.nsw.gov.au .
Hard copies of the plan are available for viewing or to purchase at the Council’s customer service counter at Moss Vale.
See Wednesday’s News for a special report.
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