Draft Batemans Bay masterplan: Eurobodalla deputy mayor Anthony Maine slams enormous proposal
A NIMBY deputy mayor has blasted an ambitious plan to turn a South Coast tourism hotspot into a high-rise economic hub, calling the draft “unclear” and “problematic.”
NSW
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A NIMBY deputy mayor has slammed an enormous and ambitious proposal to transform a South Coast tourism hotspot into a high-rise economic and residential powerhouse, labelling the draft plan “unclear” and “problematic”.
Eurobodalla Council deputy mayor Anthony Mayne will question the newly-released draft Batemans Bay masterplan when council meets next week.
Now on public exhibition, the plan proposes buildings up to 100 metres tall in parts of the Batemans Bay CBD to boost housing, tourism, and economic activity.
But, Mr Mayne said the scale was over the top.
“What was the governance process undertaken to develop this draft masterplan and why does it appear that the document not consider or refer to other key [Eurobodalla Council] planning documents on crucial issues for the Batemans Bay township, including climate change, coastal management, flooding and the housing crisis?” he said.
Mr Mayne also criticised the public consultation material, saying the dramatic jump from current height limits of 18m to 100m was not clearly communicated.
“The draft Batemans Bay masterplan fly-through simulation does not appear to show the proposed building heights described within the document, but instead features six examples of building models without clearly communicating the entire scheme or its impacts on the Batemans Bay community,” he said.
He further argued the plan failed to address the town’s housing needs — an assertion Eurobodalla Council’s Director of Planning and Environment, Gary Bruce, rejected.
“The primary purpose of the masterplan is to attract residential development and encourage people to live in the town centre,” he said.
Mr Bruce said the plan aimed to boost commercial activity, support the night-time economy and offered new housing options to improve affordability.
“One of the key reasons for the masterplan was to assess holistically the effects of requests from developers to build above the prescribed height limits,” he said.
“The masterplan process would enable the council and the community to make conscious decisions about what Batemans Bay should look like in the future, rather than assess individual proposals in a piecemeal approach.”
The draft masterplan also envisions transforming the foreshore into a tourism hub reminiscent of Surfers Paradise or the Cairns market strip with boardwalks, restaurants, markets and commercial outlets.
A physical shopfront has been established in the Village Centre, where community members can view the plan and speak with council staff. The draft proposal remains open for public feedback on council’s website.
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Originally published as Draft Batemans Bay masterplan: Eurobodalla deputy mayor Anthony Maine slams enormous proposal
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