Murrumbateman’s village atmosphere will be impacted by a 108 lot rural residential subdivision on Isabel Drive that lacks green space, say concerned residents.
But applicants argue it’s a “quality development” with “a substantial amount of advanced landscaping”.
The development proposes clearing about 1.18 hectares of White Box, Yellow Box and Blackley’s Red Gum woodland from 97 hectares for lots ranging from the minimum lot sizes of 6500 square metres and one hectare across two zones.
David Herald on behalf of residents who border the new development, from the Merryville Community Association, said those trees were critically endangered and shouldn’t be removed.
“Remove enough to put the road through but no more,” Mr Herald said at an online planning forum.
But development consultant, Will Pearson of Elton Consulting, argued trees would be replanted in the development’s vegetated area and streets to make up for the removal of those trees.
Mr Pearson also said the development met state and commonwealth environmental legislative requirements.
He said the application had been referred externally to the Natural Resources Access Regulator, Water NSW, Environment NSW and Transport for NSW.
But Murrumbateman resident Adrian Brocklehurst said the development would turn the village into “one very large town” without green space.
“This isn’t a few blocks going up in a vacant area of Murrumbateman, this is a large development filling in green space between newer developments and the older village,” he said.
Kenneth Beaton who borders the northern end of the development said the tree line “missing from plans” around the development’s northern boundary should be preserved. He also said that the quality of the development would be improved if lots 207 and 180 were left as open space.
But consultant Mr Pearson said lot 208 would be left as a common landscape and that they were discussing opportunities to increase the public space along McClung’s Creek with Yass Valley Council.
Another Murrumbateman resident, Deb Flemming, added that corridors between green space should be included for wildlife and paths should be widened for horse riders, bike riders and pedestrians to maintain the village’s existing nature.
An increase in population from residents living in the new development would also impact the village’s services, residents said.
But Paul Powderly said he and the other applicants had been talking to the Department of Education about a school for Murrumbateman while consultant Mr Pearson said there was a new neighbourhood shop proposed in Murrumbateman’s Fairley Square.
The council’s general manager Chris Berry confirmed the department was seeking land for a site and that the council had proposed to provide land it owns on the Hawthorn property in Murrumbateman.
Mr Powderly expected the school to be built at a similar time as the development.
“We would expect the procurement and construction of the school site to be completed in a couple of years. The development would be in a position to finish the first blocks in eight to ten months of approval and then people will build houses,” he said.
Residents also warned the 90,000-litre tanks for potable water and non-potable bore water for gardens and washing cars may not be sustainable in drought.
George Brennan from the neighbouring estate Merryville said their 90,000-litre tanks weren’t adequate last summer and there was a four-week wait for potable water deliveries.
“I was someone who ran out and I wasn’t alone,” Mr Brennan said.
But the applicant said the tanks and existing bore would be sufficient with non-potable water metred and usage monitored. Mr Powerdly said they would drill a second bore once the development was approved.
Development consultant John Franklin added that water recycled from on-site effluent would provide an additional 219 kilolitres per lot, per year based on a five-bedroom house.
Finally, increased traffic from the development could increase accidents on roads in the village, residents said.
Mr Beaton said he was concerned about the methodology used by the applicants to calculate traffic movements to and from the development and warned the Barton Highway intersection was already congested and accident-prone.
“My son had an accident there,” he said.
Mr Beaton also wondered if the development’s roads were wide enough for buses and provided refuge for school students getting on and off buses.
Mr Brocklehurst said the entrance off McIntosh Circuit was a potential blind spot because of its location at the bottom of a hill.
But the applicant said its consultant determined traffic from the development was within the limits and wouldn’t impact surrounding development.
Mr Pearson said the majority of traffic would move south to Canberra, with only about five per cent expected to go to Yass.
Mr Herald of the Merryville Community Association proposed an on-site meeting with the developers and the council to go through boundary concerns, which the developer agreed to.
The developer said the fence, which Mr Herald believed was in the wrong place, should be correct and had only recently been installed.
The planning forum was hosted via a Zoom meeting for the applicant and those submitters who wished to address councillors. The meeting was also live-streamed via YouTube for the wider Murrumbateman community.
Mr Berry said the issues raised will be addressed as part of the assessment report prepared by planning staff. Once finalised, the report will be presented to a future council meeting for determination by councillors.
The applicant and submitters will be informed of the council meeting and time.
