Clarence Valley Council rejects rezoning proposal for West Yamba Urban Release Area (WYURA)

A northern NSW council has been embroiled in a heated debate about whether to push the state government to rezone a flood plain area flagged for development.

Clarence Valley Deputy Mayor Greg Clancey tabled the notice of motion

A northern NSW council has been embroiled in a heated debate about whether to attempt to rezone a flood plain area which has long been flagged for development.

At a packed meeting, Clarence Valley Council debated whether it should petition the state government to rezone part of Yamba.

Deputy Mayor Greg Clancy tabled a notice of motion.

The area known as the West Yamba Urban Release Area (WYURA) would go from residential to conservation or conservation/rural land

Carrs Drive, Yamba during the 2022 floods.

The development has long been a bone of contention for some Yamba residents because of the constant truck movements (around one every 10 minutes) and large amount of fill needed.

“The floods of early 2022 have brought this issue to a head as the number of residences in the WYURA will mean that the population of Yamba will increase by 2000 people,” council documents state.

“In the event of a major flood this will place extreme pressure on the SES (State Emergency Service) to protect and potentially evacuate these residents.

Even if the houses are above a 1:100 year flood event the surrounding area, including Carrs Drive and Yamba Road are likely to be flooded, trapping the residents on islands.”

Speaking in support of the rezoning at Tuesday’s meeting, Mr Clancy said it was an issue that needed to be tackled from the grassroots up.

“We have to be brave. We have to take decisions at this local level,” he said.

“We have to represent the community and putting more people in harm's way on flood plains is not the way to do it.

A sinkhole on a Yamba walkway after the region was soaked in early 2022.

“We as councillors have a responsibility to our residents and ratepayers to protect them, to protect the environment and to make sure that planning decisions are done properly.”

A majority of councillors who voted against the motion stated they were aware of concerns, but it was not within the council's purview to rezone an area already earmarked for development by the state government.

Speaking against the motion, councillor Karen Toms said the council had to remember local government’s “do not make the laws”.

“Why would we lead with our chin and be the first (council) in Australia to try at ratepayer’s cost … (to) change the zoning?” she said.

Clarence Valley Deputy Mayor Greg Clancey.

Councillor Karen Toms.

“(When) we cannot change the zoning, we have to rely on (Labor’s Planning Minister) Mr Scully to agree to change the zoning and at the moment he’s sitting on his hands and not doing a thing.”

Online, members of Yamba’s Community Action Network (CAN) and Stop the Fill Yamba voiced their disapproval with the council’s decision.

“With each new development that requires fill, the more we (are) flooded … I was lucky to be in the position to sell and move to higher ground,” one long-term Yamba resident wrote.

“(At) that meeting people walked out in disgust at the fiction being fed to the community,” another resident responded.

Greens state MP Sue Higginson posted a statement on Facebook about the issue.

“The West Yamba development precinct is a massive problem pretending to be a solution to housing pressures,” Ms Higginson wrote.

“Putting houses on a coastal flood plain is dangerous and deadly.”

The notice of motion was voted down by the council. Councillors William Day, Debrah Novak, Steve Pickering, Alison Whaites and Ms Toms voted against.

Mr Clancey and Jeff Smith voted for the motion, while Mayor Ian Tiley and councillor Peter Johnstone were not present because of a declared conflict of interest.