Long Jetty: Diggers @ The Entrance seeks changes to seniors living complex and reduction in developer tax
Diggers @ The Entrance wants to make some changes to its $36.2m seniors living complex and avoid paying almost half a million dollars in developer contributions. Full details here.
Central Coast
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A fight is brewing between Diggers @ The Entrance and Central Coast Council over developer contributions.
The registered club has lodged an application to make several amendments to its approved seniors living complex at Long Jetty including increasing the number of three-bedroom units from two units to 17 and reducing the overall number of units from 89 to 87.
Other proposed changes include the internal configuration of many units, carparking and communal outdoor areas.
As a result, the club argues it should not have to pay more than $424,000 in levies under The Entrance District Contributions Plan and the Shire Wide Development Infrastructure Contribution Plan.
Developer contributions under these plans are essentially a tax imposed on building projects to help local councils pay for infrastructure such as roads, drainage and parks to support future populations.
In its amendment application, Diggers @ The Entrance states the “roads” component of its contribution was incorrectly calculated in the first instance and that some of the developer contributions should not be imposed on seniors housing at all.
The club states some of the contributions will be spent on “facilities that will not be used by residents of a seniors housing development” while the approved complex was already providing its own extensive facilities for residents.
The original development application was approved by the Hunter Central Coast Regional Planning Panel in September last year for 89 units across two buildings up to five storeys high with landscaped communal areas in between.
The amended plans will also have to be determined by the panel, which cannot make any decision that might reasonably have a financial impact on council without a council resolution determining where it stands on the matter.
A report to tonight’s council meeting on Tuesday, August 22, recommends Administrator Rik Hart reject Digger’s application to reduce its developer contributions.
The report states neither The Entrance District or Shire Wide contribution plans include exemptions for seniors housing development.
Council states there is an exemption for “social housing” but Diggers’ plans do not fall into that category and “therefore no exemption from the payment of development contributions applies”.
“The applicant has advised that the development is providing its own private communal open space, internal meeting spaces and a direct link to Diggers @ The Entrance,” the report to council’s meeting states.
“The proposed private facilities are not equivalent to the level of community infrastructure provided under council’s plans and do not offset the need for new and upgraded infrastructure generated by future development.”
The club and council also appear to be at odds over how much is owed under the existing contributions.
In a statement council told this publication the total contributions for the 87 units was calculated at $1,289,030 with Diggers seeking a discount of $489,577.
Diggers meanwhile calculates its total contributions at $1,186,659.57 and is seeking a discount of $424,002.72.
Diggers CEO Stephen Byfield told the Express Advocate he was not in a position to comment because of the “intricacies” of the project as a whole.
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