Planning Proposal - 131 St Vincent Street, Ulladulla

The Planning Proposal (rezoning) for the current Bunnings Warehouse site at 131 St Vincent Street will be publicly exhibited from 25 November 2024 to 15 January 2025 (inclusive) on Council’s exhibition website.

The Planning Proposal (PP076) proposes the following changes to the Shoalhaven Local Environmental Plan 2014 (LEP) to permit a new mixed-use precinct:

• rezoning the land from E4 General Industrial to MU1 Mixed Use
• increasing the maximum height of buildings from 11 metres (m) to a mix of 15 m, 17 m and 21 m; and
• applying a floor space ratio of 3.5:1 across the site.

You are encouraged to view the Planning Proposal and to have your say on the proposed changes. Submissions must be in writing and can be made via:

• Post: The Chief Executive Officer, Shoalhaven City Council, PO Box 42, Nowra, NSW, 2541.
• Email: council@shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au
• Website: via the link on the exhibition page

Submissions must be received in writing before 5 pm on 15 January 2025 and should include Council’s reference 73907E/7.

The NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) has issued a gateway determination allowing the Planning Proposal (PP) for 131 St Vincent Street to progress.

The PP application was reported to Council on 20 May 2024 for initial consideration. Council resolved to support the PP in principle with a reduced maximum height limit of 21 m (MIN24.273) subject to completing independent reviews of the proponent’s key documents. Note: The original PP application proposed a maximum height limit of 30 m.

DPHI’s gateway determination requires the PP to be publicly exhibited for at least 20 business days, and the PP to be concluded by 10 September 2025. The supporting documentation does not need to be independently reviewed.

The PP will be publicly exhibited for at least 28 days in the coming weeks. This page will be updated when the exhibition commences.

In response to a staff report on the Planning Proposal (PP) application for 131 St Vincent Street (PP-2024-109), the Council resolved to support the proposal in-principle with a revised (reduced) maximum height of 21 meters, subject to independently reviewing the proponent’s key supporting studies, and further analysing visual impact and CBD vacancy rates (MIN24.273). The resolution is copied below, and the meeting minutes can be viewed on Council’s website.

RESOLVED (Clr Wells / Clr Ell) MIN24.273

That Council support Planning Proposal (PP-2024-109) ‘in principle’ and subject to:

1. The inclusion of a recommendation for Gateway condition to complete an independent review of the proponent’s key studies, including:

a. Urban Design and Visual Impact Assessment

b. Economic Impact Assessment

c. Feasibility Assessment

d. Air and Odour Assessment

e. Acoustic Assessment

2. Modification of the maximum height of the building in accordance with the Proponent’s offer of 5 April 2024, by adopting a split height of 15m, 17m and 21m under Clause 4.3 of the SLEP 2014

3. Consideration of options to amend the proposal to minimise health risks and land use conflict.

4. Detailed vacancy analysis of the existing town centre to determine if there is a need for additional mixed use-zoned land.

5. Creating a more detailed 3D model of the surrounding landscape and built form to enable the visual impacts to be better assessed.

6. All costs associated with the above to be met by the proponents in accordance with Council’s Guideline for Proponent Initiated Planning Proposals (PPs).

FOR: Clr D'Ath, Clr Norris, Clr Kotlash, Clr Copley, Clr Ell, Clr White, Clr Wells, Clr Watson and Clr Gray

AGAINST CARRIED: Clr Boyd and Clr Kitchener

As such, Council will submit the updated PP (when received from the proponent) to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) and request that the proposal be allowed to proceed past the Gateway step, subject to completing the additional matters listed in the resolution.

Subject to a favourable Gateway determination from DPHI, it is intended that the proponent’s key supporting studies will be independently reviewed before the PP is publicly exhibited. Any independent reviews or other new information will be published when the PP is publicly exhibited.

A report on the proponent-initiated planning proposal (PP) application is expected to be considered by the elected Council at the Ordinary Meeting on 20 May 2024. You can confirm this by checking the agenda which will be available online from the Wednesday afternoon preceding the meeting. Please also check Council’s website for updates on upcoming meetings and agendas at: https://shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au/My-Council/Council-meetings/Agendas-and-minutes

The meeting is scheduled to start at 5:30pm in the Council Chambers at Council’s Administration Building. Members of the public are welcome to attend. Members of the public are also able to watch these meetings on our live stream.

Should you wish to make a deputation regarding this matter, please submit an application via the on-line application form on Council’s website https://www.shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au/Services/Deputations or contact Council’s Governance Team on 1300 293 111.

Prior to making a request, you should review the report and the recommendations in the agenda as you will need to advise whether you are making a deputation either for or against the report recommendations.