DEVELOPMENT: An artist's impression of the site.
A PLANNING proposal which put a $125 million brewery resort development at Bulahdelah on hold for six years has been passed by Great Lakes Council.
The proposal to rezone 127 hectares of land opposite Bulahdelah Golf Course could see 200 new homes developed, which in turn would support the brewery resort project.
It is now before the state government's Department of Planning for final approval.
If approved, it would be rezoned from 1(a) rural to 2(a) low density residential and 7(a1) environmental protection. The resort itself is likely to include 105 serviced apartments, 206 hotel suites, a conference centre, swimming pool, spa, chapel and restaurants.
The brewery development was previously approved by the council but in order for the Brewery Australia Development to go ahead with the project it needed the surrounding land to be rezoned.
Proponent Ralph Kellar said the rezoning, on which he hoped to see 200 new house blocks, underpinned the value of the entire development.
"Ministerial gazettal of the rezoning application will obviously add value and may help facilitate funding, and or attract joint venture partners or investors," he said.
While on public exhibition the planning proposal received eight objection submissions and six letters of support. The objections related to environmental and Aboriginal place issues but the council's manager of strategic planning Roger Busby explained in his report that the rezoning provided for a balanced outcome. This, he said, was by permitting development on less environmentally sensitive parts of the land whilst protecting the remainder by applying the council's highest environmental protection zone. There still stands an unresolved objection to the planning proposal by MidCoast Water due to the uncertainty of being able to dispose of effluent loads generated by the development. For this reason the council plans to include a clause to address this in the LEP ammendment. Proponent, Mr Kellar said he was currently seeking funding to advance the project subject to Ministerial gazettal of the planning proposal.