Five things coming up at Clarence Valley Council

With more than 40 agenda items, it’s a meeting that should not be missed.

This month’s Clarence Valley Council meeting has a packed agenda.

With over 40 agenda items, this month’s Clarence Valley Council meeting may not be for the faint hearted. But there are some diamonds in the rough.

Deck woe #1

It’s the existential question on every planner’s lips, should we let people build stuff on the wrong side of the levee wall? At the centre of the issue is a deck (DA2021/0057) which has been built in the Clarence River floodway at Grafton without development approval.

Noting that it has not been designed to withstand a major flood and would set a “undesirable” precedent, council staff are recommending it not be approved. Councillors at last week’s committee meeting voted to hear what the owners have to say about the merits of floodway construction.

Deck woe #2

Moving onto a different deck debate, the owners of a Yamba property want to build one as part of a house extension (DA2021/0107). Sounds fairly uncontentious? Not if you live close it would seem, with several submissions complaining about the use of the property as Short Term Rental Accommodation.

The concern is that with more space comes more guests and with more decks comes more opportunities to party on them.

Some unsealed roads in poor condition will be resheeted in the 2021/22 financial year.

Hierarchy of crap roads

The debate over which road is the worst will never end but from time to time a Council report offers a ‘greatest hits’ of roads that need some loving.

At Tuesday’s meeting councillors are being asked to approve a list of unsealed roads that will be re-sheeted across the next year, while also receiving a report into sealed roads that should be considered for reconstruction in the next decade.

Find out here if your road made the cut.

No better time to get a loan

It’s not just eager first home buyers who are keen to rack up eye-watering levels of debt in this time of low interest rates. Governments love it too.

Following a report from Ernst and Young, it turns out CVC can borrow way more money than they could in 2016. $67 million more in fact. Councillors are to decide on whether to update Council’s Borrowing Policy to reflect the new “Sustainable Debt Level” of $197 million.

It’s all possible due to Council’s “improved” financial performance.

Yamba live or dead?

There was an overwhelmingly positive response to a plan for a new small bar and live music venue in Yamba. Though the proponents of The Last Rites Bar will be hoping the development won’t be dead on arrival after the Coffs/Clarence Police objected to the proposal.

In response to noise concerns, the applicant proposed a series of mitigation measures and council staff have recommended it be approved subject to strict conditions.