PLANS to rezone part of a farm along Little Forest Road have been slammed as “absolute, arrant nonsense” during discussions on draft LEP provisions at last week’s Shoalhaven City Council meeting.
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Cr John Fergusson slammed the proposal to allow three one-hectare blocks on the farm, submitted on behalf of property owner John Hancock.
“There is no strategic justification for this,” Cr Fergusson said.
“We are going to end up with a total disaster of an LEP.”
Cr Fergusson accused his council colleagues of “totally emasculating the LEP process”.
Cr Amanda Findley said the application, and the support it obtained on the council floor, “stinks of mates doing favours for mates,” because Mr Hancock was the brother-in-law of South Coast MP Shelley Hancock.
Cr Greg Watson said the claim was “outrageous”.
Cr Andrew Guile said the application had merits and to claim otherwise was “character assassination”.
“This is definitely in keeping with everything else that is happening there,” Cr Guile said.
While he had earlier championed retaining and protecting valuable farming land, Cr Robert Miller said the land proposed for subdivision did not fit the bill.
“It’s not a viable agricultural property now,” he said, adding it was the sort of property that should be considered for large rural residential lots.
A staff report to the special development committee meeting that considered the application recommended against the application because it was inconsistent with the South Coast Regional Strategy.
It also noted the block was beside other rural residential blocks created through a spot rezoning at the H Ranch in 2002.
The rezoning was supported, with Crs Robert Miller, Andrew Guile, Nigel Soames, Greg Watson and David Bennett voting in favour, and John Fergusson, Bohdan Brumerskyj, Amanda Findley and Paul Green against.
