The West Dapto Release Area – Section 94 Development Contributions Plan (2010) came into force on 23 December 2010. A number of minor amendments to the Plan are proposed as a result of the ongoing review and implementation of the Plan and to achieve full compliance with the ICAC's “Development Assessment Internal Audit Tool” (2010).
The Section 94 contribution rates are proposed to increase by 2.96% as a result of indexation. For residential development a total contribution rate of $30,000 per dwelling/lot is proposed in line with the State Government Greenfield Contributions cap. For industrial or employment land, a contribution rate of $38,455 per developable hectare is proposed. These rates maintain consistency with consents that are issued whilst the infrastructure review is underway.
Council at its meeting of 23 August 2011 resolved to exhibit the amended draft West Dapto Release Area - Section 94 Development Contributions Plan for community input.
The purpose of this plan is to enable Council to require contributions to be made towards the provision, extension or augmentation of public amenities and public services that will, or are likely to be required as a consequence of development in the West Dapto Release Area. The plan also details the timing and cost of the provision of the works and facilities.
The Wollongong Local Environmental Plan (West Dapto) 2010 was notified on 5 May 2010 which permits urban development in stages 1 and 2 allowing the development of some 6676 dwellings. The first development application consisting of 290 residential lots was approved on 6 May 2010 and two (2) further applications for in excess of 180 residential lots are currently being assessed. Pre-lodgement meetings have been held for numerous other planned subdivisions totalling almost 1200 lots.
The Section 94 Plan is a key document to have in place to assist in the provision of local infrastructure for the future population and needs to be regularly reviewed. The current adopted Section 94 Plan includes a total infrastructure spend of $565 million, of which $559 million is attributed to new development, no change to this is proposed as part of the 2011 update.
The West Dapto Release Area covers an area of approximately 4700 hectares and is proposed to provide an additional 17,000 dwellings and 183 hectares of employment land when fully developed.
The Section 94 Plan considers the total infrastructure requirements for the West Dapto Release Area, as well as the specific requirements for Stages 1 and 2 as many infrastructure projects are required to service the first release of lands, as well as the later stages.
The future community of West Dapto will require additional services, facilities and infrastructure, such as:
- Roads
- Community facilities
- Open space and recreation
- Drainage management
- Public transport
- Administration
Section 94 contributions cannot be used to fund the on-going maintenance of infrastructure.
Council on 27 October 2009 endorsed an initial access strategy to address legacy issues and to improve access to the West Dapto release area for which works commenced in August 2010. A $26.05 million interest free loan from the State Government under the Local Infrastructure Program is enabling the early implementation of this strategy. The loan is required to be paid back over a ten (10) year period.
The rate of development governs Section 94 income, and therefore the funds available to expend. The development yield will require monitoring and regular review. The completion of the release area is estimated to be 55 years.
In addition to the Section 94 Plan, the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure has prepared a draft State Infrastructure Contribution Plan (SIC) for West Dapto and other release areas to assist with the funding of regional infrastructure, such as upgrades to the F6 Freeway and the acquisition of land for schools. The draft Plan is entitled "Special Infrastructure Contribution – Illawarra (West Lake Illawarra)" and was exhibited between 21 January and 25 March 2011. The Plan provided for a contribution rate for residential development of $73,219 per net developable hectare or about $6,180 per averaged sized lot. Contributions on employment land development are proposed at 40 per cent of the residential levy at $29,180 per net developable hectare.
The NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure is still finalising the Plan and seeking the approval of the Minister for Planning, in consultation with the Treasurer. Discussions are ongoing with NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure and other State agencies to confirm the list of infrastructure projects to be included in the final Plan.
Council report - West Dapto Release Area - Section 94 Development Contributions Plan - 2011 Minor Update
Council Minutes 23 August 2011
The draft documents will be on exhibition from 5 September to 14 October 2011.
Copies of the suite of documents can also be viewed at:
- Wollongong, Dapto, Warrawong and Unanderra libraries during library hours
- Council’s Administration Building, 41 Burelli Street Wollongong on weekdays between 9am and 5pm.
Submissions should be addressed to:
The General Manager
Wollongong City Council
Locked Bag 8821
WOLLONGONG DC NSW 2500
or emailed to records@wollongong.nsw.gov.au
For convenience please quote file no: ESP-100.05.002
Enquiries can be directed to the Land Use Planning team on 02 4227 7631. Please note that submissions become public documents and may be viewed by other persons on request.
To obtain information as to how Council will deal with any personal information in your submission or whether you can make an anonymous submission please telephone 02 4227 7111 or visit www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/Pages/privacy.aspx
You should also obtain this information if you are legally required to disclose a reportable political donation or gift.