With the outcome of the independent review into the South Kiama DA approval yet to be announced, tomorrow Gareth Ward MP and the Chair of the Kiama Central Precinct Mark Greaves will meet with the NSW Minister for Planning, Anthony Roberts, and the independent reviewer in a last attempt to voice the community’s strong opposition to the re-zoning.

“Former Planning Minister Rob Stokes agreed to an independent review of the decision by the Department of Planning to approve the re-zoning for land at South Kiama,” says Mr Ward.

“Our local community should decide the future of our urban environment, not Sydney bureaucrats and not Sydney developers.

“I will be making it clear to the Minister that this type of reckless re-zoning proposal is simply just not on – it’s not in the interests of our local community and I will not support it.

“We have had enough of our local community being over-developed in recent years and I will not back down in fighting to protect our local community.”

People are worried about what effect hard surfaces will have on future flood events. This is the water flowing through the southern side of the land on the weekend, down to Easts Beach.

Other commitments are stopping the Mayor of Kiama, Neil Reilly, from attending the meeting but he has voiced his support.

“I cannot see that this planning proposal delivers any benefit to our community, in fact quite the opposite. It provides a great burden on our road system, on our sewage, on our schools and it is a direct threat to tourism in our town.

“The plan has been refused twice by Council with a strong recommendation not to proceed. Where is the benefit?”

Kiama Central Precinct Chair Mark Greaves says, “There are far too many serious problems with this planning proposal, and these have been clearly articulated by Kiama Municipal Council and Council staff and our local member Gareth Ward MP. We welcome the opportunity to discuss these issues with the Minister.”