Coffs Harbour’s Jetty Foreshores are set for a multimillion-dollar makeover, after the City of Coffs Harbour locked in a funding deal with the state.
Council voted on Thursday, 22 October, to progress a Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA) with Property and Development NSW (PDNSW) for land mostly owned by the NSW Government. A VPA is a voluntary but binding undertaking. It delivers better results for ratepayers than standard developer contributions.
The draft Jordan Esplanade VPA was put on public exhibition earlier this year. It drew 187 submissions.
“The VPA will see a $10.85m investment by the NSW Government including $8.2m on key public infrastructure,” said City of Coffs Harbour Mayor Nikki Williams.
“That result is significantly more than what we could have achieved under standard applicable developer contributions and it will be indexed as it could take up to 20 years to complete the revitalisation.”
The package includes:
$8.2m for open space and foreshore park upgrades.
About $1.9m in local infrastructure contributions, most likely to go to the Jetty Foreshore.
$750,000 towards gateway and intersection works planned for Stage 2 of the Jetty Strip upgrades.
Some people who made submissions worried that parts of the infrastructure were uncertain. City Planning and Communities Director Ian Fitzgibbon said that was deliberate.
“A number of the public submissions raised concerns about a lack of certainty around some of the infrastructure, but that is a deliberate intent to ensure the VPA remains flexible as the project and the community’s ambitions potentially evolve,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
“We’ve also shaped the VPA so that community infrastructure is delivered in tandem with the various stages of the revitalisation.”
“So open space enhancements and associated community infrastructure are provided in relevant stages as the precinct develops.”
Without a VPA, the City would have had no enforceable way to secure public benefits once the rezoning was finalised.
The NSW Government finalised the rezoning proposal for the Jetty Foreshores this month. It added a requirement for an affordable housing component or a monetary contribution.
The rezoning clears the way for tourist accommodation and housing west of Jordan Esplanade. Any building will still need a Development Application, including public review.
Key features of the rezoning include:
Around 250 new homes and 200 tourist accommodation rooms.
Better pedestrian and cycling links between the city and the harbour.
New open space and a multipurpose community area.
Public recreation land kept at the Marina Drive entry to the precinct.
A three per cent in perpetuity affordable housing dedication or monetary contribution.
Building heights of two to six storeys.
Design guidelines to support high-quality development and protect key view corridors.
Rezoning of the former Deep Sea Fishing Club site for tourism uses only.
The NSW Government said several changes were made after public feedback. They include lower building heights, the affordable housing requirement, and design guidelines to protect views towards Muttonbird Island and Corambirra Point.
A traffic and parking impact assessment was done for the rezoning and reviewed by Transport for NSW and the Department’s Traffic Advisory Committee. It found the development would not add enough demand to need traffic upgrades outside the site.
Council voted to authorise the General Manager to finalise and sign the VPA with PDNSW.
“Having a VPA in place is another important step toward making the foreshores all that it can be – a dynamic waterfront location where locals and visitors can gather and enjoy,” Mayor Williams said.
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