In a final attempt to stop the South Kiama rezoning going ahead, the Member for Kiama, Gareth Ward, has used Parliament to formally call upon the NSW Planning Minister to act to stop the approval going ahead.

Without this ministerial intervention, there is no other mechanism to appeal the decision that would bring around 600 homes to South Kiama ahead of the preparation of a local Housing Strategy.

The preparation of the Housing Strategy is a required by the Illawarra-Shoalhaven Regional Plan, and is expected to be completed in June. Its development will involve significant community consultation, to look at the best way to accommodate growth in the LGA.

“I have always supported balanced and responsible development. This [South Kiama] proposal is neither balanced nor responsible and I do not support it,” Mr Ward said.

“This proposal will overwhelm local infrastructure like local roads, waterways and sewerage systems. We need development that adds value not destroys the village character of our community which is why so many moved here in the first place."

In a report to the Government in July, Council said the proposal failed to satisfy the necessary Strategic Merit and Site-Specific Merit Tests.

It opposed the large development because of lack of need at the current time, heritage and flooding concerns, it being ahead of the development of a Local Housing Strategy, the excessive fill that would be required and community opposition.

The recommendation was supported unanimously by councillors.

The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) has concluded the proposal has Strategic and Site Specific Merit and issues raised during consultation can be addressed. The reasoning for the decision has not yet been released.

In his speech in Parliament, Mr Ward queried what caused the Department to reject the weight of evidence against the Proposal.

"I would ask that the Minister advise our community why the Department was so easily convinced in light of a tsunami of evidence that would lead any reasonable person to be opposed to this proposal and I would call on the Minister to release this detail provided by the applicant in its meeting with the Department of Planning in the interests of transparency and accountability," he said.