Green light for 99-lot subdivision at Lennox Head

ALL homes in the new subdivision will be connected to the "purple pipe" reticulated water scheme.

An application to develop the Reservoir Hill site at Lennox Head will be determined at this week's Ballina Shire Council meeting.

UPDATE, Friday, 11.30am: A SUBDIVISION with 99 lots and five "super lots" at Lennox Head was approved by Ballina Shire council.

The 15-hectare site, commonly known as Reservoir Hill, fronts Henderson Lane, North Creek Road and Hutley Drive.

The application for the residential subdivision and subdivision works were approved with conditions, including the prohibition to erect the two large proposed promotional signs.

Cr Sharon Cadwallader said all homes in this project will be connected to the purple pipe network.

"All homes will be connected to the reticulated water scheme, which is great," she said.

"They will all have (water) tanks. I'd like to think we can encourage them to connect those tanks to toilets and washing machines as well.

"I know there is concern about drainage, but (council) staff have gone to great lengths with the acoustic assessment and other areas with this application.

"I'm quite happy that signage was removed."

 

Original story: PLANS for a subdivision with 99 lots and five "super lots" at Lennox Head could be approved by Ballina Shire councillors this week.

The 15-hectare site, commonly known as Reservoir Hill, fronts Henderson Lane, North Creek Road and Hutley Drive.

The $14.9 million development application was put on public exhibition on two separate occasions and received a total of 48 submissions.

>>> Lennox 'mega development' back with second DA

Council staff have suggested a number of conditions in their recommended approval of the DA, many of which relate to the site's ecological constraints.

There is a littoral rainforest growing in the central portion of the development site and an extensive area of freshwater wetland habitat.

An application to develop the Reservoir Hill site at Lennox Head will be determined at this week's Ballina Shire Council meeting.

"Both vegetation communities are listed as Endangered Ecological Communities (EECs)," the council report states.

"Hairy Joint Grass (Arthraxon hispidus) is also known to occur within the wetter portions of the development site.

"Consequently, post construction the long-term hydrological functioning and health of the retained wetland relies on the installed infrastructure to be working correctly and in perpetuity."

The developer has already outlined a number of environmental measures that will be put in place at the Lennox Head site.

A five-year "on maintenance" monitoring period aims to ensure the ongoing health of the wetland, and will involve experts in hydrogeology, soil science, ecology, environmental science and engineering.

But council staff have said even more work will have to be done in an attempt to reduce the overall impact of the development on the freshwater wetland.

These additional measures include an increased offset ratio of 10:1 to secure an offsite restoration area for all areas of freshwater wetland impacted by the development.

The developers will also have to continue annual hydrological and vegetation monitoring programs for five years after the 90th residential lot is registered, and continually monitor the health of the wetlands during and post development.

"It is considered the development application can only be supported if all of the (outlined) mitigation/safeguards are implemented, otherwise the development is likely to have a significant impact on the 'local occurrence' of the freshwater wetland, such the development application will be required to be refused," the council report states.

"It must be noted, even if the above strategies the long-term survival of the wetland is still somewhat uncertain."

Councillors will vote on the DA at Thursday's ordinary meeting.