Councillors were briefed on the Council’s response to Chambroad’s application for its Kangaroo Bay development to be declared a major project by the State Government, during its closed meeting on Monday night.
Mayor Brendan Blomeley said that whilst the Council is yet to send its submission to the Minister in response to the major project proposal by Chambroad, the proposal does not have the necessary attributes to qualify as a major project.
“This is a complex situation, with many moving parts, and whilst I understand we are setting a precedent, with this being the first major project proposal, the proposal has many flaws,” Mayor Blomeley said.
“Whilst this application deals with the development side of the process, attention has to be given to the fact that the Council and Chambroad are engaged in a legal buy-back process for the land, so I ask – if land ownership is on the table, how can the Minister grant approval for a development proposal to be considered by an expert panel if the proponent may not own the land?
“There is a serious risk that this process will result in very considerable waste of public moneys and other resources better directed to other purposes within the community.
“Further to this, I question the eligibility of this project to be declared a ‘major project’– this is not a unique project within the context of the southern region, with this initial process by the Minister potentially setting a very low threshold for future applications.”
The Council will provide a public summary of its submission after it has been sent to the Minister.