2021-03-09 Planning & Environment Committee Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                        9 MARCH 2021


      from adjoining residences and retention of the sites ecological values attributed to the
      waterway.
     The provision of landscaping to the front of the property limits views into the site and therefore
      retains the character of the local area. A significant buffer of bamboo is situated on the
      adjoining property adjacent to the northern boundary.
     No recreational vehicles are provided by the host or permanently parked on site.
     It is unlikely that the use would impact on the use of the adjoining rural land noting that a
      significant extent of the adjoining land is a thin strip of land (approx. 30 metres) which has
      limited agricultural potential.
     Sufficient room exists on site for the manoeuvring of caravans and recreational vehicles
      whilst the visual and acoustic privacy of occupants is maintained by screening vegetation to
      all property boundaries and separation from noise generating activities. Facilities situated on
      site also ensure that guests have a suitable level of residential amenity.
     The existing facility has been in operation for approximately 5 years and apart from some
      complaints received when the facility first commenced there have been no further complaints.
      A considerable separation is also provided between the accommodation sites and
      surrounding residences thus ensuring the protection of the local amenity.
Further areas of non-compliance with the Visitor Accommodation Code:
The proposal also does not meet the following acceptable outcomes:
     Acceptable Outcome AO14.2 which requires that the total area of all buildings and roofed
      structures associated with the use does not exceed 250m2
     Acceptable outcome AO19.1 which requires that self-contained camping:
      b. is no closer than 100 metres from a rural activity on an adjoining property;…
      d. provides guests with no power, drinking water, ablutions, cooking facilities, refuse bins
         or dump point facilities; and
      e. allows for no more than five recreational vehicles to be parked on site over any night.
     Acceptable outcome AO19.2 which requires that guests:
      a. are accommodated in self-contained recreational vehicles containing fresh water, grey
         water and black water storage;…
      c. stay no more than four consecutive nights.
Broadly, these provisions are intended to address the use of large rural allotments for the purpose
of RV stopovers and generally provide the framework for accepted development being for up to 5
RV’s parked on site over any night. However, the provisions also envisage that the tourist park use
be accommodated on a portion of a rural lot whilst maintaining the capacity for the rural intent of
the land to be realised and the preservation of rural character and the amenity of the area. The
subject site being only 2.3 hectares in area, situated within close proximity of the Cooroy township
and having been developed in accordance with the original approval for the tourist park purpose
naturally conflicts with these provisions.
Notwithstanding, the proposal does not interfere with rural activities on adjoining lots as primarily
these activities are limited to grazing. Furthermore, the extensive landscaping to the frontage of
the site and extensive screening on the adjoining allotment to the north and western boundaries
ensures that the visual amenity of the surrounding area is protected. Additionally the
accommodation sites are suitably separated from surrounding dwellings to protect the privacy and
acoustic amenity of nearby properties and users of the tourist park.
It is noted that the original approval limited stays to 4 nights to reflect the limitations of self-
contained RV’s to remain in place before needing to empty waste holding tanks. This was
increased to 7 days as part of a minor change application in addition to permitting the use of on-
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