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Updates

Re-exhibition of Cessnock Draft LEP 2010
Date: 15-Jun-10
By: Peter Firminger

Meeting March 10, 2010 - Wollombi Valley Working Party (draft LEP)
Date: 10-Mar-10
By: Frederic Aubineau

Review Paper - Clause 10
Date: 08-Mar-10
By: Paul Flemming

Addition of Clause 10 to the new LEP
Date: 08-Mar-10
By: Paul and Priscilla Flemming

The Coming Week
Date: 07-Mar-10
By: Peter Firminger

Questions Without Notice - Cessnock Council 17 February 2010
Date: 21-Feb-10
By: Peter Firminger

New England's environmental wars - introduction
Date: 02-Feb-10
By: Jim Belshaw

In the restriction zone
Date: 30-Jan-10
By: Phil Thompson (The Land)

Calling for nominations for a Wollombi Valley Working Party (Draft LEP)
Date: 20-Jan-10
By: Bernie Mortimore (CCC)

Rural Valley Comparisons
Date: 19-Jan-10
By: Paul Flemming

LEP Interviews on 2GB
Date: 18-Jan-10
By: LEP Action Group

Claytons Environmental Protection Under E3
Date: 10-Dec-09
By: Paul Flemming

It would appear that, in moves frighteningly reminiscent of similar action taken in 1984, Cessnock City Council (CCC) in consultation with NSW Department of Planning (DoP) will once again try to steal away legal entitlements from property owners in the Rural 1(a) Zone.

At CCC's meeting of the 21st November, councillors passed a motion seeking authorisation from the DoP to place on public exhibition a draft Plan proposing a number of changes to be incorporated into the Cessnock Local Environmental Plan 2008 (LEP see link to the document at the end of this page) and City Wide Settlement Strategy 2007.

Of most significance to local landholders will be the following:

  1. Require a dwelling entitlement for tourist accommodation (a further erosion of rights for land that lost the entitlement to construct a dwelling when the "existing holding" concept was introduced in 1984).
  2. Deletion of the clause relating to rural workers dwellings used in conjunction with a permitted land use (ie the removal of current rights to build a "managers, caretakers or rural workers" cottage on land in the Rural 1(a) Zone)

  3. The removal of "existing holding" provisions.
    What this essentially means is that any property that falls under the 40ha minimum size requirement in the current Rural 1(a) Zone, that is not yet developed (with a residence) or has a Development Application lodged, will lose the entitlement to build a residence and/or tourist accommodation facility (see 1. above).

While any of the above proposals will have a significant negative impact on the value of land (and all land in the Wollombi district is affected by at least one of these proposals) it is the removal of the current "existing holding" provisions that would have the most catastrophic effect on these particular properties with, collectively, many millions of dollars in value being removed by the adoption of this proposal. Remember, these properties were procured for a price reflective of what legal entitlements they had at the time they were purchased. It has been our experience that a minimum 50% to 60% reduction in value can be expected for a block of land that does not have an entitlement to apply to build a residence.

Any landowner who may be impacted by these proposed changes to the LEP should immediately seek further information from the relevant authorities and make representation, both individually and collectively through local community organisations, at local and state levels of government to have these proposals immediately withdrawn.

Steve Annis-Brown

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Comments (3)

Posted: 14-Mar-08 13:02 by Brian Barnes Permalink

Can i suggest that a couple of standard (sample) letters of complaint are posted on your site for use by members. Organisations like GetUp and Avaaz have found that in order to get the maximum number of people participating in sending emails, they put up a standard letter to the person or organisation they are trying to influence and all you have to do is fill in your details. They also allow an option to edit it or personalise it if the sender feels inclined.
I feel sure this would result in many more people participating. Regards Brian Barnes.

Posted: 24-Apr-08 09:43 by Sean Gough Permalink

Thanks to Steve Annis-Brown and others for putting across our concerns to Council so succinctly last night. Where do we go from here? If Council intend putting the proposed LEP on display as it stands and only then consider our objections, how can we best present those objections and what would be the process? I propose we soon have a community meeting to discuss the issues raised last night and Council's response, making a plan as to the next steps. Can this be arranged?

Posted: 10-May-08 18:19 by carl hoipo Permalink

At the forum meeting with Council, it was mentioned that the Dept. Agriculture had made a submission to Council re farming potential in the Wollombi district,
and this lead to the environmental Zone being used here. It might be interesting to see what that Ag. Dept. submission was.
Carl Hoipo.

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