Ballina airport, coastal lifestyle attract development
The New South Wales Government says naming Ballina as a planned major regional centre recognises the importance of its airport and its role as a river and coastal lifestyle centre.
The Government says the strategy makes it clear new commercial and retail development should be concentrated in centres such as Ballina, rather than isolated locations.
Initiatives to support and maintain the growth of inland settlements would help to reduce population pressures on the coast, encouraging a greater spread of population across the region, the Government said.
“Ballina Shire’s character and environment will benefit from the strategy’s aim to reduce the pace of new urban development in the coastal area,” it said.
“The proportion of the region’s new housing being built in the coastal area will be reduced from the current rate of 75 per cent to 60 per cent over the strategy’s life
“Future urban development within the coastal area will be contained within designated town and village boundaries. This includes development in land release areas identified at Cumbalum, North Creek, Tintenbar and on the fringes of Ballina, which have been previously endorsed by the council.
“The strategy’s maps make it clear that not all land identified within town and village boundaries can be developed for residential uses. Some land is subject to natural hazards while other land will be required for open space, drainage, commercial, industrial and environmental purposes.
“Outside the coastal area, any development outside the designated growth boundaries will be subject to new sustainability criteria. This approach will also help protect the area’s significant environmental, landscape, natural resource and agricultural lands.
“The villages of Wollongbar, Alstonville, Lennox Head and North Creek within the Ballina local government area are recognised for their diverse lifestyles and sense of community, reinforcing the Far North Coast as a ‘region of villages’.”
