Windella community members oppose planned home-estate

 BY HOLLY FISHLOCK

Members of the Windella Residents Community Group are concerned a manufactured home-estate planned for Windella violates planning laws.

Group leader Warren Baldacchino, argues the planned 282 home-estate will be too close to Maitland airport, and is concerned the airport could seek to develop the nearby land later on.

Mr Baldacchino also flagged the potential traffic increases, saying the additional units will bring 400 people to Windella, and will double the number of cars on the road.

Chris Speek from developer Mavid Group, says plans submitted to Maitland City Council are generally compliant with relevant laws. 

He also argues the group have considered the existing neighboring properties and airport when designing the estate.

Maitland City Council has called for public comment on the plan, and will accept submissions until March 4.

State Labor Commits to Open Access to Wickham Park

BY OLIVIA DILLON

State Labor says it will help give residents better access to Wickham Park if it wins next month's election. 

Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp joined Shadow Minister for Transport Jo Haylen, and Great Lifestyle of Wickham spokesperson Lyn Kilby for the announcement this morning.

It says it will see the installation of gates and a path between the park and the end of Holland Street. 

Currently blocked-off by a fence, some residents wanting to access the park have to walk over a kilometre. 

Jo Haylen, said it's a common sense move. 

"It shouldn't be that hard to put in a gate and a fence, so that families and community can come together to walk their dogs and to be active. That's the kind of city we want in the future, and that's what Labor will deliver if we're elected next month," she said. 

Lyn Kilby says the area's growing population needs to be catered for. 

"The public domain is supposed to set up for pedestrians to have the lifestyle that's been promised by NSW planning and local government planning. At the moment, the planning is not accessible for all the people who have come here and bought all this real estate to make a life." 

 

Cessnock councillors lobby to scrap compact Huntlee housing lots

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Cessnock councillors will lobby the Planning Minister to reverse an approval allowing allotments as small as 217m² at the Huntlee development.

The State Government signed off on a move to amend an approval for a new housing lot type known as Urban One, accomodating compact dwelling types between 217m² and 354m² around Huntlee's commercial centre and potential school.

Council says community engagement on the Development Control Plan raised major concerns around the decision, however, especially in regard to parking, traffic, public transport, as well as amenities such as education and healthcare.

Mayor Jay Suvaal says the developer is taking advantage of the housing crisis, and the population density isn't suitable for the region.

Council will write to the Planning Minister, as well as calling on Cessnock MP Clayton Barr to overturn the decision.

Image credit: Huntlee.

New planning controls to require Newcastle developments to be electric vehicle ready

BY DAKOTA TAIT

New developments in Newcastle could soon be required to be outfitted to be ready for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, as part of a proposed change to planning rules.

Council is set to discuss the plan at Tuesday night's meeting, with a public exhibition to follow over the next 28 days. 

Councillor Elizabeth Adamczyk says it's a small investment, with a big impact.

"We know that in five to ten years, many garages across the city will be home to an electric vehicle, so it's really appropriate that our building standards adapt to allow buildings to be EV ready," Cr Adamczyk said.

"Through really simple actions, we're ensuring that the city is ready for the future."

The planning controls are the first of their kind in the city.

It would mean all new development over $200,000 and any development involving garages and parking will need to have the appropriate cabling and conduits. 

It's estimated to set developers back $50 to $300 per parking space, although it's still considered cheaper than retrofitting properties.

Cr Adamczyk says it's important the city gets ahead of the curve. 

"I think we're definitely leading the way," Cr Adamczyk said. 

"What we've done is look to other best practice cases, like Woollahra in New South Wales, who have had these controls in place for about seven years.

"We know that momentum is building towards an electric future, so it's really time for us to be leading this charge."

Kurri Kurri gas plant given the green light after email mishap

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The controversial Kurri Kurri gas plant will go ahead, revealed after an email bungle on Monday afternoon.

Key stakeholders found out about the approval when they received an email from the planning portal in error on Monday afternoon.

The Planning Minister has since formally approved the project, ticking off the last hurdle. 

It's likely to be Rob Stokes' last action in the role, after the portfolio changed hands in the Cabinet's latest reshuffle. 

Gas Free Hunter Alliance's Fiona Lee says it's not a shock it's been announced in the days before Christmas.

"We know that the State Government's trying to hide this approval by announcing it when people are just distracted," Ms Lee said.

"They want to slip it under the radar, they know it's a really unpopular project."

Construction of the new plant is set to begin next year.

The Federal Government's pushed the project as a necessary complement to keep electricity supply stable and affordable.

But Ms Lee says it just doesn't add up with the State's net zero emissions targets.

"We'll continue to try and stop the gas plant from moving ahead, at every stage," Ms Lee said.

"We'll be launching a legal case and looking at every other avenue to have this ridiculous waste of public money stopped."

Image credit: infrastructurepipeline.org

Farmers hit back at Government Proposal

BY: ALEX MURRAY

A public forum was held this morning at the Wine Country Motor Inn with discussions of the government's proposed production and rural development policy and its protections for farmers.

The proposal is aiming to support sustainable agriculture and changes to planning particularly those requiring development consent. 

As Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Scot Macdonald says, "Primary production and managing rural development is vitally important to the Hunter." 

Although, the NSW Farmers Association is calling on the government to consider the restrictions placed on rural farmers in the development of the proposal and to have an understanding of their working conditions. 

Hunter Regional Manager of NSW Farmers, David Banham says: "The message is loud and clear from the people in the room today that there's still work to be done and it needs to be done properly."

"There was certainly discussion around the fragmentation of agricultural land and the minimum lot size which could be potentially changed or present issues." 

"It's a big change from the existing environmental planning policies we've got...including problems where certain farms won't be requiring development consent to go ahead." 

"We've identified some of the issues early on...but we're always looking for positive outcomes from these changes, we just need to need to ensure the planning department understand farming and the issues around it so they can create the right policies."