Bega Valley Shire Council has indicated that it will support the Eden Killer Whale Museum in its quest to have the zoning changed on a block of land it wants to purchase.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
EKWM wants to buy the land adjacent to the current museum site, but the block is zoned R3 medium density residential which prohibits it from being used as an “information and education facility” under the Bega Valley Local Environmental Plan 2013.
The adjoining land is required for the museum’s future expansion.
The museum’s board sought council’s support to allow such a use within the R3 zone, with the issue being raised by Councillor Russell Fitzpatrick at the May council meeting.
Cr Fitzpatrick asked if council could give an assurance to the museum that if the land was purchased the appropriate zoning would be able to be implemented.
Council’s director of planning and environment Andrew Woodley said while rezoning was possible, the process was likely to be time consuming and “quite onerous”.
Mr Woodley said the NSW environmental planning legislation would permit the change in usage, which would have to be done via a planning proposal.
He said the process started with council officers providing a report to council and receiving support by way of a council resolution.
Following a positive resolution from council, officers would prepare a planning proposal for the NSW Department of Planning.
“Then it is in their hands and subject to state-wide priorities, which of course we have no control over,” Mr Woodley said in a response to Cr Fitzpatrick that was included in yesterday’s council meeting agenda.
“My estimated time frame for your request is 8-12 months,” he said.
“I will be supporting your request and do not foresee any problems with council or the department.
“Unless something comes out of left field, the biggest issue is timing.
“If you do not intend to build for 12 months or more, I am confident – but can’t promise – that it will work out,” he said.
In that time there was nothing to stop the museum from preparing design plans and even lodging a development application, he said.
Development consent could not be issued until the planning proposal was legally incorporated into the Bega Valley Local Environmental Plan.
While he hoped a “positive resolution” would be on the agenda of the council’s July meeting, the EKWM proposal was one of a number being dealt with by council, some of which had been on its list for a long time.
