It follows a successful 6:3 recission motion result at council’s monthly meeting on October 19. It follows on from the 5:4 vote to reject at Voluntary Planning Agreement by the developer at council’s September meeting.
Cr Norm Wales voted to reject the developer’s offer at the September meeting. He has since indicated he voted in error and sought to have the matter reconsidered as his intent was to vote to allow negotiations to occur on the matter.
He submitted a Notice of Recission for last week’s meeting which was also signed by Crs Andrew Kennedy and Shaun Whitechurch.
The negotiation will include the short fall in the offer to provide infrastructure such as facilities to be provided in the open spaces, upgrades to North Street and other intersections impacted by the development, augmentation to sewerage infrastructure and water infrastructure.
All costs – excluding council staff costs but including any legal costs if required – associated with the negotiations for any agreement are to be met by the applicant and/or developer.
As he did at the September meeting, Cr Kennedy spoke strongly in favour of council entering into negotiations about the proposed development.
At last month’s meeting, the Mulwala-based councillor had no councillor support when he spoke in favour of a 395-lot subdivision proposal in Redlands Road Corowa.
“In Corowa, the whole town was against the development,” Cr Kennedy said. “This is different. Everywhere I go people ask me why isn’t it (the Mulwala development) going ahead. No-one’s against it. Mulwala needs this. This is the only place it can grow.”
Mayor Pat Bourke encouraged councillors to vote for negotiations, “to have a chat to see if we can meet on mutual grounds”. Cr Wales admitted: “My thoughts were development/negotiations for Mulwala.”
Deputy Mayor Whitechurch said: “We need development but we have to get it right for the community. Keep it rolling.”
In her report, council’s director development and environmental services Susan Appleyard said what the Voluntary Planning Agreement Offer by the applicant meant was that the developer should only pay 29% of the overall cost for the modelled growth for Mulwala for an additional 1700 lots.
“What this offer fails to note is that costs associated with the provision of infrastructure versus the capacity volumes are not linear - they are exponential, that is, doubling the capacity of a water main does not double the costs of installation,” she said.
Ms Appleyard said the proposed 495 lots will provide for about 10 years growth in Mulwala, taking up to 99.5% of the growth capacity of Mulwala and therefore the development should pay for the component of that infrastructure provision to service the lots - $2,975,000 rather than the $850,000 offered.
Cr Paul Miegel raised concerns about the long-term cost to ratepayers and council if the offer is accepted by council and the precedent it sets for current and future councils. Cr Fred Longmire reiterated the concerns by the director development and environmental services, emphasising the massive difference in development costs perceived or expected of developer and council.
Being a regionally or state significant development, the application is required to be determined by the Western Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPPP). Ms Appleyard advised, at council’s latest meeting, the panel will meet on Tuesday, November 4.
“The applicant will be advised of council’s resolution and then negotiations will commence,” Ms Appleyard said.
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