DON’T Bomb Bomaderry spokesperson Wes Hindmarsh said Shoalhaven City Council’s decision to approve a proposed Woolworths supermarket in Bomaderry could set a dangerous precedent.
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Mr Hindmarsh was left disappointed and bewildered by council’s decision to overturn a staff recommendation and approve the proposal on Tuesday night.
Team Gash councillors voted as a bloc to approve the proposal 8-5.
The $13.8 million supermarket proposed for the former John Bull Centre site near the corner of the Princes Highway and Cambewarra Road includes the demolition of existing structures, bulk earthworks, construction of a retail development (Woolworths supermarket), associated car parking, advertising signage, landscaping, new vehicle access points and works within the adjoining road reserve.
The decision is the subject of a rescission motion by Crs Guile, Kitchener and Findlay and will be reconsidered at the next full council meeting.
“I was in awe of the discussion and the end result,” Mr Hindmarsh said.
“I was amazed Team Gash voted as a block to support the application.
“We didn’t know which way council would jump and what might come from left field. Well that happened.
“They went totally against the planners’ recommendation.
“There is no technical merit to the decision, and they didn’t observe established principles of planning, in particular the Local Environment Plan, that was approved in 2014.
“They didn’t observe the detail zoning obligations. None of these things were mentioned by the people who voted for it, Team Gash.”
He said the decision could have some big ramifications for not only the Shoalhaven but all regional areas in NSW.
“If this proposal is approved it will have ramifications for not only Bomaderry but also South Nowra,” he said.
“It is as if zoning means nothing. This could set a precedent which could be used across the state.”
He said members of the Don’t Bomb Bomaderry group had met with a number of councillors, including those on Team Gash.
“Most were non-committal, they wanted to see what the planners had to say but when planners put their information on the table, none of them addresses those issues or took the issues to heart,” he said.
He also refuted claims made by Mayor Joanna Gash the proposal would provide more jobs for the local area.
“The argument of extra jobs is just salacious,” he said.
The argument of extra jobs is just salacious.
- Don’t Bomb Bomaderry spokesperson Wes Hindmarsh.
“The proposal might provide jobs but it would come at the cost of other jobs and businesses in the Nowra, Bomaderry and North Nowra areas,” he said.
“They will lose employees, so the numbers are not as great as Mrs Gash is making out.”
Mr Hindmarsh said the group would continue to fight the proposal and hoped to have further meetings with the mayor to discuss the issue.
