Mayoral Column 21st October 2020
Published on 21 October 2020
Changes to residential and subdivision controls
Among a number of items for consideration at our Council meeting (Tuesday night) we are being asked to consider a proposed amendment to the Goulburn Mulwaree Development Control Plan 2009, focused on residential and subdivision development controls.
As everyone is aware, Goulburn Mulwaree is in a high growth period, and we have recently completed planning for the next 15-20 years growth through our Housing Strategy. Alongside this there has been some concern at the increasingly large proportion of lots in new residential subdivisions being developed into semi-detached dwellings (attached dual occupancies) and detached dwelling houses (free-standing houses) with secondary dwellings on the same lot.
There is obviously a demand for these types of homes, whether for owner occupiers or renters, but the reality is it has exposed these areas to overdevelopment in some cases.
The proposed amendment will strengthen existing controls relating to privacy, open space and solar access and introduce new controls for sheds, cut and fill and subdivision master planning. It will also ensure any future subdivision considers the impacts of the development if all lots were developed to the fullest amount possible, as opposed to the current mechanism where it is assumed that every proposed lot will be developed into a single dwelling.
Council will be undertaking a holistic review of residential development and subdivision controls in the GM LEP and all controls in the GM DCP over the next 12 months or more, which will address many of these issues.
If approved by Council on Tuesday night, the proposed amendments will be placed on public exhibition for 28 days.
Bulky Waste Disposal Weekend
I’m again encouraging residents to begin to prepare for the free Bulky Household General Waste disposal weekend, which has been confirmed for Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th November.
Waste Management Centres in Goulburn, Marulan and Tarago will be open from 7am to 4pm on both Saturday and Sunday to cater for the expected larger crowds.
The household general waste weekend is usually even busier than our free recyclable weekend, so I encourage you to get prepared now and to plan your trip ahead of time as there may be some delays.
We do expect some line-ups throughout the day as it’s always a popular weekend, but will have plenty of staff on hand to keep things moving smoothly. The main rush is usually early on Saturday morning, so if you don’t want to wait around in line we recommend holding off until later in the day, or even Sunday.
Goulburn Mulwaree residents can dispose of up to 2m3 of bulky household general waste (such as household furniture, green waste, cardboard and steel) per property, free of charge at Council's waste centres.
All loads must be transported to one of Council's waste centres, and only domestic items will be accepted.
Bryan Mulquiney – NSW Volunteer of the Year
A note of congratulations to Bryan Mulquiney, who was recently awarded the 2020 Senior Volunteer of the Year Award, at the Southern Inland Regional Award Ceremony of the NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards.
Bryan is a lovely man, who has been recognised for his work as a volunteer with Council’s Museums section over the past seven years. He volunteers at the Goulburn Historic Waterworks two days per week, and is also very willing to assist at the Rocky Hill War Memorial and Museum.
He works tirelessly doing grounds work, maintenance, minor construction work, rubbish collection, gardening and steam engine preparation in readiness for our open "steaming" days. He also volunteers his time on weekends to assist with Museum events, including set up, pack up, providing tours and information to visitors.
I also want to congratulate residents of the region who were nominated for awards, including Marlene Skipper of Marulan Progress Association, and Marie Kennedy of National Trust Riversdale.
A number of organisations were also nominated in the ‘team’ category, being: Goulburn & District Netball Association Executive Committee, Goulburn CWA of NSW Branch, Goulburn Evening Branch CWA of NSW, Marulan Branch CWA of NSW, Mulwaree Branch CWA of NSW, Tarago CWA Evening Branch and Tarago CWA Branch.