YOU can see the affect a nearby construction site is having on a group of St Georges Basin residents by looking into their eyes and hearing them cough.
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The dust being created by the machinery clearing a large parcel of land in the Doyle Place area is making many residents sick.
Their eyes constantly weep, many have developed coughs and the dust is so thick at times they can even taste it.
It’s even worse when the winds blows and a dust cloud swamps in to smother their homes.
They can’t even put their washing on the line to dry it because it gets covered in dust.
Resident Renate Gerken said their torment started nearly three months ago.
“We are always coughing,” she said.
“I also have some special eye drops and I start coughing like I am getting asthma and I don’t get asthma.
“You just can escape the dust and I can also can hear the noise from the construction site when I am in Sanctuary Point.”
Her neighbour Lyndelle Harris is also suffering.
“My eyes are itching and I have developed a cough I don’t normally have and my nose is constantly irritated,” Mrs Harris said
“You can't open your windows or your doors.”
They described homes disappearing in a coverage of dust.
Many of the residents already have health concerns, including cancer, and a dust storm is the last thing they need.
The residents coincide it’s possibly too late for them to get help but they don’t want to see others experiencing the same situation.
“They (the developers) should be made accountable for what they have done - it's really terrible,” Mrs Harris said.
Shoalhaven City Council has been in contact with the developer and advised him of the dust issues and lack of sediment and erosion controls in place over the property.
Council, to address the issues, has issued a verbal direction and a Clean Up Notice under The Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997.
The residents are also upset they did not get any recent notification about the development.
Mrs Harris said they did get notification 15-years-ago.
“When we bought down here 15-years-ago we were told the trees would go - eventually. We were not told when.
“We thought after 15-years it was not going to happen.”
The residents thought a three metre strip of trees would be left but there does not appear to be too many trees left.
They believe about 50 house will be built on the land and are also upset about the environmental damage.
“We bought down here because of the trees, the birds and the animals and now even the little bandicoots are gone,”Mrs Harris said.
Council looks into the matter
The development was approved by the State NSW Dept Planning and Environment. Council’s Compliance team are investigating the dust and talking to the developer as well.
There is a current modification application under assessment – this is modification number three.
There was a Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) for the site and Council recently issued the Construction Certificate (CC) however the approval gives the proponent permission to remove trees/vegetation within all roads/lots and wherever services are required.
There was a narrow easement imposed under conditions of the consent for a fauna movement corridor north/south at the back of the existing houses along Island Point Rd. However, many services traverse this easement.
The VMP approved by Council requires them to keep a minimum distance of 10m between trees within the corridor. There were no large trees within the corridor when council officers visited the site prior to clearing. In the long term, these trees potentially would may be subject of removal under DCP exemptions.
Dust
There is a condition of consent, E8 that is intended to deal with dust. Council is current investigation and pursuing dust management with compliance staff sent to the site.
Notification
There is no requirement in the consent to undertake a consultation process prior to the commencement of works.
Consultation occurs typically with the DA.
Unfortunately, when a consent is issued and a period of time elapses, people tend to forget, properties change hands and the like and therefore are surprised when works start.
Council often suggests to developers that it is a good idea to keep neighbours in the loop and consider a letterbox drop or the like.