Category: TSC Development Applications

URGENT Your Right to be Consulted under Threat

RED ALERT!!!

Very important – submissions needed please before 5pm 3rd June.

Proposed NSW Community Participation Plan.

NSW Labor and the Liberals have teamed up again this time to attack your right to community consultation on local development applications.

Thrilled by their latest success in December that will entirely strip your local Councillors of any powers to determine development applications, they are now trying to cut the community out too.

Under their new proposed Community Participation Plan a development application won’t be publicly advertised for comment if it apparently meets all the planning controls, whether it’s the house next door or a high rise.
The problem is that planning controls can be open to interpretation and arguable, eg bulk and scale, visual impact, privacy, environmental impact or even hazard risk impacts. That’s why we have consultation. read more

TVW: Planning Reform Fears

Tweed Valley Weekly interview with TSC Councilor Nola Firth about the planned NSW Planning Reforms Bill and its implications:

Caravan Park at Pottsville refused by NSW.gov, as per Community and TS Council Recommendation.

Tweed Link #1400 4 June 2025:

“The Northern Regional Planning Panel (NRPP) recently announced their decision to refuse the application (DA 25/0011) at Pottsville. The Development Application for 1183 Cudgera Creek Road, Cudgera Creek included the building of a caravan park containing 267 long term sites and 12 short term sites, clubhouse, outbuildings and associated roads.

The NRPP was the deciding body for the application as it was valued at more than $30 million dollars, a higher amount than can be approved by Tweed Shire Council. read more

Which Land Sites for Development? The Tweed Shire Council Draft Options Paper for the Growth Management and Housing Strategy: Councillors Request Clarity

The TSC ‘Final Options Paper‘, nominating 69 sites to be proposed for development or further development, was on the agenda of the December ’24 Tweed Shire Council Public Meeting.

It was noted by Councillors however that the ‘Final Options’ presented by Council staff has combined several previously separately identified sites, clouding clear identification of environmental and other site constraints of these sites.

Concerns raised regarded flooding, lack of infrastructure and, most important for our organisation, environmental loss which may be the result of the sites chosen, notably in the rural areas and greenfield areas of the Tweed. read more

Historic Legacy Developments

A current Council meeting agenda item is the already approved though not acted upon historical Legacy Development Approvals which would not meet today’s DA requirements, and if anything can be done to bring legacy developments consents into line with current development standards.

From the TSC Meeting May 18 Agenda:

“The NSW Planning system has created the ability for historic legacy developments to sit dormant for a long period of time. Over this time planning laws change and environmental and community protections have improved in order to manage the impacts of developments on the landscape and the surrounding communities. However, some of these legacy developments may have established lawful physical commencement and remain valid to this day despite sitting dormant for some time. read more

Tweed Growth Management and Housing Strategy Survey

Below is the link to the survey and also the Caldera Environment Centre’s priority issues as a guide to help with your survey responses. Closing date is 12^th Sept.

CEC points – from the perspective of preserving Tweeds internationally significant biodiversity and maintaining the character of local ‘village’ communities as well as preserving productive farmlands.

Suggested responses to survey questions:

Q on places and types of residential development for future population growth it is important that urban in-fill is prioritised. Increased density in areas that already have infrastructure will help protect natural bushland and agricultural land from clearing. It is VITAL that Environmental Offsets are not used in the process of urban development. The priority must be Avoid and Minimise – Offset only as last resort and ONLY within the development footprint. Priority sites to be funded under the proposed State Government Affordable Housing Fund should NOT be located on environmentally sensitive Crown Land, particularly on the Tweed Coast. read more

The Caldera Environment Centre opposes any further expansion of water mining and extraction facilities in the Tweed Shire.

To the General Manager, Tweed Shire Council.

Submission Re: DA 19-0346.

The Caldera Environment Centre opposes any further expansion of water mining and extraction facilities in the Tweed Shire. Last year (May 2020) the Tweed Council passed a moratorium on new water mining facilities and we ask that this policy continue to be acknowledged. During the drought of 2019 there were serious stream flow issues in areas adjacent to water mining operations. The impacts of this industry on the water table are poorly quantified, and the cumulative impact of farms and residential lots as well as the mining industry have not been adequately considered. The bottled water industry also increases plastic pollution, and with the Tweed Zero Waste Target, it would be appropriate to consider the impacts of the businesses that the Council supports. read more

Make a submission to TSC regarding DA21/0010 Nightcap on Minjungbal, before 24th March.

NRG sponsored a public meeting on Sunday, 14 March, to air information and views on (Tweed Shire) DA21/0010 for a proposed development known as Nightcap on Minjungbal, located off Kyogle Road between Mount Burrell and Kunghur. Turnout for the meeting was good, and much information was shared. This message is to let you know that the deadline for submissions to Council is at the end of business on Wednesday, 24 March 2021.

NRG does not support this development of 392 dwellings in 10 off-grid Rural Land Sharing Communities (RLSCs). We note that:
• Tweed Shire Council’s LEP does not permit further development of RLSCs.
• The proposal is not aligned with the 2019 State Environmental Planning Policy for Rural Development.
• The size and scope of the development is highly unsuitable for the area.
• The development would do significant harm to the environment and to the many threatened/endangered species that inhabit the site.

We urge you to learn more and make a submission to Tweed Council by 24 March. Here are useful links:

The DA and a Have Your Say link (for submissions) is on Council’s website:
https://datracker.tweed.nsw.gov.au/Pages/XC.Track/SearchApplication.aspx?id=877619&a=DA21/0010

You can find information about why the development should be refused here:
www.northernriversguardians.org
(See the link “Nightcap on Minjungbal” on the home page.)
calderaenvironmentcentre.org
(See the link “Submission: Nightcap on Minjungbal” on the home page)

Local National Parks Have Been Directed To Implement Tourism

National Parks, directed by nsw.gov, for economic reasons, are to increase national park use tourism, especially here in the Caldera.

Eg is a 4 day 45km walking trail starting at Mt Jerusalem to Minyon Falls. Marketed to the early adopters.

The DA for the day 1 part of the track (‘Unicorn Falls’) closed for comments with 50 submissions.

To what degree will areas be protected from tourism?

Will the DA assessments ignore the impact on existing amenity and on ecological protection concerns? read more