Residents confused by new development on flood plain

By Samantha Elley

What do you get when a local council considers a development application (DA) to establish 60 blocks of medium density housing on a flood plain?
The answer is: a group of very confused and concerned local residents.
That is the situation in Broadwater after residents were advised by letterbox drop that Richmond Valley Council had a DA on public exhibition at 59 Rileys Hill Road to undertake a Torrens Title subdivision.
“If they develop 60 blocks of medium density housing, that means there will be duplexes on each block,” said resident Cat Martin.
“At 2-4 residences on each block that could be up to 1,000 extra people living here.”
The land for the proposed development is zoned RU5 – village zone, which allows for residential lots of varying sizes and shapes.
However, with the recent flood experience in Broadwater and the plans by government bodies to buyback and retro-fit houses for future floods, residents are confused by the plans to continue building homes on a flood plain.

the community meeting

“They plan to build the land up to 1.6 metres, which will make it an island,” said Ms Martin.
“That will force water to channel down our street.”
During last year’s February floods, the land in question was completely under water.
The DA’s flood report stated that RVC’s Development Control Plan requires all habitable floor levels be elevated to a minimum of half a metre above the 1 in 100 year flood event level.
This will mean a minimum of 2.6 metres to 3.9 metres of fill and earthworks will be needed to achieve the required habitable height above flood levels which is 5.1 metres.
These figures, however, lifted from the April 2010 Richmond River Flood Mapping Study – Final Report are 13 years old and do not take into consideration the recent flood levels experienced in the Broadwater area.
At a community meeting last week, in which residents along Rileys Hill Road and surrounding areas attended, other issues raised also included:
• Koala habitats and the introduction of more domestic animals and the increase of traffic.
• The lack of infrastructure in the Broadwater village, with only one service station, no shops and no proper footpaths, will be stretched with the growth in population.
• The discomfort to current residents as the development is being built with the noise, dust and dirt that accompanies such activities.
• Lack of information so far provided to residents. While DA papers are online, a meeting with the developer for more details would be preferred.
• The wellbeing and mental health of current residents having experienced the recent flood, now dealing with the stress of this development.
Residents Ms Martin, Jemma Donnelly and Betty Archer agreed that more land was needed to relieve the housing stress on the Northern Rivers, but suggested there were better options.
“People have to have a place to live,” said Ms Archer.
“But why not on the other side of the freeway, which is flood free or the quarry, which is up for sale?”
Ms Martin noted blocks of land currently for sale in the middle of the village hadn’t been selling.
“They need to get out of the flood plain,” she said.
“Why can’t they build on the hill?”
While the original development was scaled back from 90 to 60 blocks, Ms Donnelly said it’s a start.

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the community meeting

“My first proposal is to not have it at all,” she said.
“But there could be a compromise where they developed 2.5 acre blocks rather than the smaller ones proposed.”
Resident Neville Murray said he wasn’t against or for the development.
“There just isn’t enough information,” he said.
Outcomes of the community meeting included encouraging all residents to put their submissions in regarding the DA, signing a petition to let the council and developer know their concerns and possibly organising a community meeting with the developer requesting more information.
Written submissions are invited by residents and interested parties on the development to be in by February 18.
These can be done by:
• post to – Locked Bag 10 Casino NSW 2470
• email – council@richmondvalley.nsw.gov.au
• hand delivery – at either of Council’s Customer Service Centres in Casino and Evans Head
• online submission – by completing an online submission form via Council’s website.

Please note comments on social media posts are not considered submissions.