A group of North Nowra residents have formed a fighting party to try and stop a proposed 400-lot housing estate near their properties.

Huntingdale Developments Pty Ltd and Southbank Land Pty Ltd have requested the proposal for Warrah Road, Bangalee be further considered by Shoalhaven City Council prior to proceeding further with a Gateway determination issued by the state government.

The proponent seeks to have the land, bordered by Warrah Road and Lochaven Drive Bangalee to the north, Gypsy Point Road to the west, Coconut Drive to the east and almost as far as Crams Road, North Nowra to the south, rezoned from rural to residential to allow the proposal to go ahead.

Group spokesperson Dennis Johnson said the area was not equipped to cope with such a large expansion and residents needed to band together now to try and stop the proposal.

“The infrastructure is simply not there to cater for the influx of homes, people and extra motor vehicles on an already stressed road system,” he said.

“Trying to get out of Illaroo Road at the best of times is a nightmare. How is Illaroo Road going to cope with an estimated extra 1000 to 1100 vehicles, which will increase movements to between 2000 and 2200 each day?

“That’s without even talking about schools in the area which are already full, we have a hospital and health system which is struggling to cope. It’s hard to get into a local doctor. Our police are stretched and undermanned. How will the area cope?

“And above all else where will the jobs for all these extra people come from?”

Mr Johnson said around five or six years ago council strongly indicated there would be no large housing development within the North Nowra peninsula area unless there was another major access and egress road to accommodate the proposal.

“The last traffic count we have been told of for Illaroo Road was 21,000 vehicles per day. Council has recently undertaken another study. It would be interesting to get the results of that,” he said.

“You would have to ask why this study was done just before this proposal came to light?

“Perhaps what is more worrying is that not many people in this area seem to know about this plan.

“We need to stand up now and try and stop this. I believe if the proposal gets through to the Gateway stage it will be too late.

“We can’t afford to sit back and just see what happens.”

He said the proposal would see the total destruction of an area which is now classed as totally high conservation value area by the Warrah Road Peer Review of Biodiversity Studies.

“I can’t see with this classification how council is even considering this proposal,” he said.

“And this is from the same developer who without consent from anyone previously bulldozed a large parcel of land that adjoins this proposed development.

“Now that land is the subject of a remediation order and will not be good for anything for the next 15 to 20 years. There is certainly no habitat for wildlife.”

Another sticking point for residents is the fact most of the homes already located in that area are half to one acre blocks.

“This proposal is for 500 square metre blocks. That’s not in the keeping of the area,” he said.

“We are not against development but it needs to be good development.”