West Ballina over-50s resort facility project reduced by 66 lots by developers

Details of the changes to the West Ballina proposal were discussed on the first day of hearings at the Land and Environment Court between the developer and Ballina Shire Council.

A development application for an over-50s resort facility to be located in West Ballina is proposed to be reduced by 66 lots.

Lawyers from both parties discussed some of the changes at court on Monday.

Originally, the proposal was for a 300-lot manufactured home estate on 14ha of land at 550-578 River Street, West Ballina.

The first application estimated costs at $29m, but the figure was revised to $48m in June 2020.

On the first day of hearings at the Land and Environment Court in the matter between Planners North (on behalf of GemLife) versus Ballina Shire Council, Justice Preston was advised of some of the changes proposed.

The original master plan for the new GemLife home estate development project in West Ballina with 296 lots has been altered.

Peter Tomasetti, representing Planners North, confirmed some of the changes.

“The plan which we seek to reply upon, sets back the development on its western side by 25m from the point where lot 212 up to the north, to River St,” he said.

“The western setback has been substantially increased in the proposed amended plan.

“As part of that arrangement, there has been a rearrangement of manufactured home sites.

“There were previously 296 sites proposed in the masterplan, and that has come down to 230,” he said.

The lawyer representing the developers said the loss of those 66 sites resulted in a reconfiguration of the western side of the development.

“Where the clubhouse is, the road arrangement has altered, there is no longer a boundary road around the lots immediately to the north of the clubhouse, and the 12 lots there have become nine lots.

“Within that setback, there is a pathway and some landscaping.”

The new estimated cost of the project was not discussed during Monday’s proceedings.

West Ballina resident Francis Bienke opposes the development application that would surround the back of his property.

Mr Tomasetti said another major amendment to the application was the setback of the development on the southern side,

“The development is proposed now to be set back 15m, so the fire retention basin has increased from 2.5m to 15m,” he said.

“The lots have been rearranged in the ways described going to the north up to River St, so it’s to account for the increased setbacks.”

Ashley Stafford, the lawyer representing Ballina council, said the documents relating to the last-minute amendments to the application presented to the court were incomplete.

The lawyers said council experts had been unable to evaluate the changes to the project.

Justice Preston pressed council’s lawyers to focus on the amendments that will make a difference to the outcome of the development in order to expedite the court’s proceedings.

The proceedings of the final hearing for this case will be discussed daily until Friday, August 6.