A downsized meeting of Ballina Shire councillors has voted to oppose a proposed 300-home estate at the CURA C site near Tintenbar, sending the strongest possible message to state decision-makers.

The Environment and Sustainability Committee — missing several key players — backed a hard line against the rezoning, despite the matter now sitting outside council’s direct control.

Mayor Sharon Cadwallader and Deputy Mayor Damian Loone were absent due to their roles on the Northern Regional Planning Panel which will ultimately decide whether the development proceeds.

Greens councillor Kiri Dicker, who first led the push to remove Cumbalum Urban Release Area (CURA) C and two other major growth areas, was also absent, along with her colleague Erin Karsten.

That left a smaller group of councillors to determine council’s formal position.

Strong message to the panel

While the rezoning decision now rests with the state, councillors made it clear they wanted to support the staff recommendation to take the strongest possible stand in influencing the outcome.

The committee resolved to oppose the proposal progressing in its current form and to communicate that position directly to the Northern Regional Planning Panel.

Councillors were told any submission must be lodged by the end of April, giving the meeting added significance.

Conciliatory approach fails

B Ward councillor and Lennox Head Chamber of Commerce president Michelle Bailey moved an amendment seeking a more conciliatory approach.

She proposed conditional support for the rezoning if key deficiencies were addressed.

“The amendment aims to reframe that position to one of conditional and constructive engagement,” Cr Bailey said.

But the proposal failed to gain traction.

It was supported only by her running mate, Cr Simon Kinny.

All other councillors ultimately backed the stronger position opposing the rezoning.

Cr Michelle Bailey

Why councillors drew a line

At the centre of the debate was infrastructure — and who pays for it.

Council’s planning staff made clear the CURA C site, sitting to the far north west of proposed urban growth areas, between the old and new Pacific Highways, is  outside the logical sequence of development.  They say the existing growth areas at Cumbalum and CURA B (Kinvara) should be built out first.

Council Planning Director Matthew Wood told councillors the site was effectively “out of sequence” and reliant on infrastructure that does not yet exist.

That includes major water and sewer connections, which would need to be extended to what councillors described as an isolated site.

Cr Phil Meehan chaired the meeting in the absence of both Mayor Sharon Cadwallader and Deputy Damian Loone

The concern raised during the meeting was that if Cura C were allowed to proceed ahead of schedule, council could be forced to roll out that infrastructure earlier than planned.

Councillors were warned that, based on past experience, there was a real risk those costs would not be fully recovered from developer contributions.

Cr Phil Meehan, who acted as chair of the meeting in the absence of  the mayor and deputy, said council had to be cautious.

“We must… safeguard our community against potentially very large costs,” he said.

The issue of infrastructure funding was repeatedly referenced as a key reason for opposing the proposal at this stage.

Developer plea falls short

Ahead of the meeting, developer Adrian Tripodena again urged councillors to keep the proposal alive.

“We’ve always been willing to work with council to address all of the issues that have been raised,” Mr Tripodena told the public forum.

He said the company remained open to agreements around infrastructure and planning matters as the process progressed.

But councillors were not convinced those issues could be resolved within the current timeframe or to the level required within the regulatory framework.

Next step: full council and the state

The committee’s recommendation will now go to the full council meeting later this month, where it is expected to be endorsed.

From there, council will make its submission to the Northern Regional Planning Panel.

The panel will then determine whether the CURA C proposal proceeds, is amended, or is rejected.