Plunge pools, scenic cabins: tourist development approved

SOME changes were made to the plans when the proposal went before council.

A DA for a six cabin tourist development in Talofa has been considered by Byron Shire Council.

A NEW tourist accommodation development in the Byron hinterland has been given the green light.

The development application, for a 42 hectare property at 533 Bangalow Rd in Talofa, was lodged with Byron Shire Council in February.

The property is owned by Talofa Palms Pty Ltd and is home to an existing palm tree farm.

The company was seeking approval for six tourist accommodation cabins, each with two bedrooms, a kitchenette and a plunge pool for each cabin.

 

An artist's impression of the south elevation of one of the six tourist cabins proposed for 533 Bangalow Rd in Talofa. The proposal will go before Byron Shire Council on October 15.

At the council's October planning meeting, Cr Basil Cameron asked his colleagues to support a reduction of carparking space requirements from two to one per cabin.

Cr Cameron initially asked that the plunge pools also be removed from the plans, but this change didn't receive support.

Cr Cameron queried the water requirements of the pools and expressed concerns about this.

"My most important concern about this is that (the council) properly recognises this as an issue," he said.

 

An artist's impression of the north elevation of one of the six tourist cabins proposed for 533 Bangalow Rd in Talofa. The proposal will go before Byron Shire Council on October 15.

"We do need to make sure it is … not putting an additional load on the community."

Cr Sarah Ndiaye said she supported the proposal.

"I think we should be supporting when people are trying to do the right thing," Cr Ndiaye said.

"(Having) more holiday accommodation … that doesn't infringe on our housing is also a good outcome."

Mayor Simon Richardson supported a reduction of the number of car parks, which had been a condition indicated by the council in the first place.

He said there was sufficient space for overflow parking elsewhere on the site.

"The positive is the landscaping and the softening of the experience of that visitor," he said.

"I'm sick of cars dominating our development footprint."

Councillors voted to approve the development, with the carparking reduction and some other amendments, including modiciations to the vegetation management plan.

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