TO THE EDITOR

Blow away the ‘affordable housing’ smokescreen put forward by Traders In Purple and you’ll see the Springside Hill rezoning and development proposal for what it is: a manipulative and cynical land grab by money-hungry developers.

And at a massive cost to the Kiama community.

This proposal would completely change the face and lifestyle of Kiama as we know and love it. It would turn a flourishing seaside tourist town into the biggest coastal development site south of Shell Cove Marina, with 1000 new homes and - at a guess - anything up to 4000 new residents.

Calderwood-on-Sea.

Imagine the traffic chaos on Jamberoo Road and Terralong Street and on the south side of the development during peak hours, school drop off and school pick up each day. Not to mention the snarls of cars as thousands more attempt to cram into the Leisure Centre for Saturday morning sport. And where would they all park in the town centre?

How many new schools and child care facilities would it require at a time of chronic teacher shortages? How many more medical practices would be needed when there's already a glaring lack of GPs in rural areas?

Why does Kiama need a fourth retail centre after Terralong Street, Manning Street and the Acuna Street development? Another supermarket? I understand a second is already planned for Acuna Street.

What about the notorious lack of sewage facilities to cope with the increased demand?

The questions are endless. So far, the answers have involved nothing but vague and vacuous ’trust me’ pleasantries – oh, and the promise of a relatively quick fix to the Council’s development and financial challenges.

C’mon Kiama Council, surely you’re smarter and better than to fall for that carrot?

Traders In Purple have unleashed a slick – but deceptive - public relations barrage which includes all the clichés developers fall back on when trying to justify their multi-million dollar money making ventures: affordable housing for young families and front line workers ... local jobs ... a new supermarket – 40 per cent of the land set aside for open space.

If open space is so important – which I believe it is – let’s hang on to all the 114 hectares of open space which already exists on the site!

Don’t be fooled. When you see the statement from Traders In Purple Director George Geagea that this is a ‘once in a generation opportunity’ for Kiama, stop and think: if it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is. In my experience, most developers aren’t motivated by the good of the community - they’re looking for their own once-in-a-generation opportunity ... to line their own pockets.

The long-term solution – and long term solutions are the only ones that count – is to develop the still-working Bombo Quarry as a fresh residential hub once it’s closed.

Planning should start as soon as possible to shape the future development of the quarry – and, yes, include affordable housing and many of the other sales pitches listed by Traders In Purple - rather than blotting the currently beautiful rural landscape of Kiama with a Sydney-based developer’s self-serving scheme.

Patrick Weaver