New plans for a $30 million residential complex in the foothills of Mount Keira have reignited Keiraville residents' worst fears.
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Plans for 47 closely stacked homes on a steep parcel of land on 14 Cosgrove Avenue were initially lodged in 2020, but were knocked back by the Southern Regional Planning Panel last year.
The same developers, Surewin Parkview, recently registered new plans for the development with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
Keiraville Residents Action Group Inc. (KRAG) said it was alarming to receive the alert of the plans after the long fight against the previous development application.
"It's actually quite depressing after what seemed like a fairly final rejection by the Land and Environment Court," KRAG chairperson Geoff Kelly said, "and now we're back to square one."
"This is one of the worst things you can do to this particular block. We are strongly of the view this block really should simply belong to the escarpment."
While full details of the plans are yet to be released, Mr Kelly said it so far looks to be of a similar scale to the previous plans and consists of five buildings with 42 dwellings and 96 car parks.
"The original application was rejected on 10 grounds by the court, so we're a little puzzled," he said.
"But nonetheless it's another application that's very similar to the last one. We're now just waiting to see what what happens."
One of the grounds the original application was rejected was bushfire risk.
Mr Kelly maintained concerns the development would be a significant safety risk for Keiraville residents, as it would likely also block access out of the suburb.
Long-time suburb advocate Felix Bronneberg added it would also cause significant stormwater run off in an area that already suffers inundation during heavy rains due to the "ancient" stormwater systems.
"When you've got land like this, a substantial percentage of the rain is absorbed," Mr Bronneberg said.
"But if you pave it over, 100 per cent of the water flows down. A development can increase water flows through the stormwater systems, it's happening with more and more dense development and driveways in the suburb.
"But this one would be a major change because it's such an open area that absorbs most of the flows."
He also raised concerns about the smell of the garbage collection point for the proposed homes, which would be located at the bottom of the hill so it can be accessed by removal trucks.
The other concerns raised by residents before the Southern Regional Panel about the earlier development application, which are still held by KRAG, include increased traffic, accessibility for emergency services, noise, and the way the site will look from various locations across Wollongong.
Meantime, Mr Kelly called on Wollongong City Council to not process the application if it is to be approved by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
"It's time for Wollongong Council to act decisively now to ensure the long term protection of the site and not process the application on the grounds provided for in Environmental Planning Assessment Act, the Wollongong Local Environmental Plan 2009 and the requirements of the Planning for Bushfire Protection," he said.
"The concerns of the community needs to put at the forefront."
KRAG will hold a community meeting this week to discuss the plans.
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