ANY changes to remove backpacker accommodation from a general residential zoning would have to apply uniformly across Dubbo.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Dubbo City Council ruled out creating a "sub zone" for South Dubbo yesterday as debate continued in the community about a mooted change for the suburb.
The council put forward a planning proposal for discussion that if gazetted would allow a greater diversity of uses than those under the current low-density residential zoning.
These include attached dwellings, hostels, residential flat buildings, semi-detached dwellings, restaurants or cafes, shop-top housing, backpackers accommodation, hotel or motel accommodation, serviced apartments and hospitals.
As South Dubbo residents expressed concerns last week, Real Estate Institute of NSW Orana division acting chairman Andrew Toole called on the council to rein in the possible uses, saying they had "only ever sought the rezoning for medium-density housing in the South Dubbo area".
Council city strategy services manager Tony Aikins reported that backpacker accommodation, hotel or motel accommodation, serviced apartments and restaurants or cafes were not mandated by state legislation for the R1 general residential zone.
The council had "some discretion to remove some of these uses" but Mr Aikins identified an issue.
" . . . Any amendments would have to be considered on a city-wide basis as the general residential zone is already in place elsewhere in the city," he said.
"Council is not able to implement the same zone with different permitted uses (because) this would create sub zones, which are not permitted by the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure as part of their standard LEP template."
The council will conduct a public information session about the planning proposal on Wednesday at 6pm.
