Bayshore Village
Bayshore Village is a proposed creative mixed use village situated in the western part of Byron Bay. The idea behind the village is to foster community interaction by providing a mix of activities for the people who live and work at the site as well as for the broader community. The design is specifically fashioned to encourage creativity and innovation and to become a model for sustainability and urban development.
SJ Connelly provided peer review style advice to the developer and specialist consultants in realtion to the development of site plans and with respect to the approval process. This application was processed by Byron Shire Council but the determining authority was the Joint Regional Panel.
Location: Byron Bay
Year 2000 – 2012
Client: Bayshore Village Pty Ltd
Junction Hill
Project Type: Villages
The vision for Junction Hill is a simple one. It is to:
“…achieve a self-reliant cohesive village community by providing a public village core and expanding the diversity of dwelling types, settings and pricing while promoting and/or maintaining the qualities and character that are distinctive to the site and Junction Hill…”
Imbedded in this vision is a positive and earnest desire by the proponent to “maintain the qualities that are distinctive to the site”. This means more than simply “amenity qualities” it goes to the cultural, scenic, physical, ecological and social “qualities” which are distinctive of the site and locality.
Location – Junction Hill
Client – Mike and Robyn Dougherty
Year – 2007 and ongoing
Riverbend MHE
Project Type: Villages
River Bend is a Manufactured Housing Village project in West Ballina. The site is zoned land which had historically experienced difficulties in gaining development consent, mainly as a consequence of the highly reactive soil conditions in the locality not being conducive to conventional subdivision. The Manufactured Housing Estate model adopts a single ownership approach to site management which has allowed for some of the more vexing infrastructure provisions questions to be looked in an innovative way.
Location – West Ballina, NSW, Australia
Year – 2001 to 2003
Client – River Bend Village Pty Ltd
Troppo @ Baywood
Project Type: Villages
Development Consent was obtained to subdivide Lot 301 in DP 1033188 to create 2 lots. Further, staged Development Consent is sought for proposed Lot 1 entailing integrated single dwelling house development consisting of 7 x 2 bedroom and 29 x 3 bedroom dwellings and associated infrastructure. The first stage is to involve the erection of 5 x 2 bedroom and 25 x 3 bedroom dwellings and an associated on-site wastewater treatment system. This will occur on the two parcels within the proposed Lot 1, located at Dehnga Place and Coogera Circuit. The on site wastewater system will be located at the Dehnga site along with 21 dwellings in Stage 1. All 9 of the proposed dwellings at the Coogera site are proposed as part of Stage 1.
In the second stage it is proposed to retire the on site wastewater system, connect to Council’s sewer system and erect a further 2 x 2 bedroom and 4 x 3 bedroom dwellings.
The proposal by Supbrook to undertake this troppo@baywood project is a product of many factors. Those factors include:
- policies of all levels of government to promote the orderly development and use of land which is zoned and identified by the DCP as suitable for low scale low intensity development;
- strong demand for well designed single dwelling houses; and
- the site planning opportunities presented by the site for integrated housing.
The proposed development application is permissible under the Byron Local LEP and is consistent with the North Coast Regional Environmental Plan.
The primary objective of this proposal is to develop part of the residual of Baywood Chase Estate for the purposes of an integrated housing development illustrating the very best in contemporary Australian coastal architecture.
For the purposes of project design criteria, the following site planning objectives have been adopted:
- Identify and protect site flora and fauna of local environmental planning significance and enhance the biological diversity of the land through landscape plantings.
- Ensure that construction works are appropriately managed to minimise site erosion and maintain the current quality of water exiting the site.
- Ensure that adequate effluent disposal infrastructure is provided.
- Implement aspects of energy efficient housing.
- Maintain the visual integrity of the Baywood Chase environment and carry out development in a manner which optimises the residential amenity of the development without impacting on the residential amenity of the surrounding land.
- Provide for public utilities.
- Ensure that the proposed street system of Lot 1 conforms with the network hierarchy of Baywood Chase Estate and that adequate carriageway and verge are provided to allow the proposed streets to safely perform their appropriate function within the network.
- Ensure that the quality and quantity of stormwater exiting the site is not adversely affected by the proposed subdivision and that existing drainage patterns are not materially altered.
- Review potential site planning hazards to ensure the development is not likely to present an unreasonable hazard.
- Provide opportunities for positive social and economic outcomes and develop a sense of place for residents.
- Undertake construction on the site using methods responsive to site constraints.
Unfortunately this project did not proceed.
Location – NSW, Australia
Year – 2003
Client – Supbrook Pty Limited
Ballina Shire Council 3rd Plateau Village
Project Type: Villages
Since 1975 Ballina Shire has had a policy of establishing a 3rd Plateau Village in the Alstonville – Wollongbar region of its Shire. This policy has been supported at regional level by the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning and included in that Department’s Northern Region Coastal Urban Strategy document.
Steve Connelly has headed up a design team seeking to locate and design the 3rd Plateau Village for Ballina Shire. One of the innovative approaches for this study involved comprehensive documentation of all research and community involvement on the world wide web. The resulting community consultation process saw this project deferred fro at least a decade.
Location – Ballina, NSW, Australia
Year – 1999
Client – Ballina Shire Council
Box Ridge Aboriginal Community Master Plan
Project Type: Villages
This was a two stage project calling for the development of a master plan with respect to the future development of the Box Ridge Reserve at Coraki. Stage 1 involved a detailed assessment of physical site planning limitations, socio-economic analysis, and the development of a variety of options for long term community planning. From such options, the community chose a specific strategy. Detailed development plans and architectural and landscape architectural drawings were prepared. All required works were costed and presented in a manner suitable for funding application and local Authority approval.
Location – Coraki, NSW, Australia
Year – 1991 to 2001
Client – Bogal Local Aboriginal Land Council
Cellulose Valley Technology Park
Project Type: Villages
This project involved the preparation of analysis, site planning, design, environmental policy preparation and detailed stage planning for the construction of a specialist Technology Park at Lismore.
Location – Lismore, NSW, Australia
Year – 1991 to 2001
Client – Southern Cross University
Community Title Subdivision, Suffolk Park
Project Type: Villages
A 19 lot residential (Community Title Village) development on an environmentally sensitive site. The design took particular care to preserve existing vegetation and included implementation of water sensitive design concepts with a wetland filter and embellishment of an existing watercourse.
Location – Suffolk Park, NSW, Australia
Year – 1993
Client – Silvergrove Investments
Highland Park, Nerang, Queensland
Project Type: Villages
The preparation of a master plan for the development of a “hill village” within the fabric of the Highland Park residential estate located to the west of the Gold Coast at Nerang. This project entailed detailed feasibility analysis as well as volumetric calculations in respect to the reshaping of the Highland Park Hill. Overlaying such calculations, the project brief required the preparation of a master plan for development of a “hill village” style residential estate and appropriate rezoning documentation.
Location – Nerang, Queensland, Australia
Year – 1989
Client – Elders Limited
Natural Valley
Project Type: Villages
Natural Valley is one of a handful of sites nominated by the award winning Byron Shire Rural Settlement Strategy as a potential place for a “eco community”. The Natural Valley site is located within a parcel of land which has been heavily degraded over the years, mainly as a consequence of infestation of the environmental weed camphor laurel.
Planning for the eco village has involved not just the normal range of research, analysis and design in this new field of eco-village design, but also a innovative attempt to engage the local community in the design process.
This project is ongoing.
Location – Coopers Shoot, NSW, Australia
Year – 1991 to present
Client – Supbrook
Neo Traditional Village, Coomera, Qld
Project Type: Villages
This project looked at conceptual site planning for an “urban village” of 5,000 people sited adjacent to a proposed commuter railway line. The site design principles adopted called for a “pedestrian scale”, high density urban settlement. The design response was to adopt a “neo traditional approach” to site master planning.
Location – Coomera, NSW, Australia
Year – 1991 to 2001
Client – Kolback Group
North Beach Byron
Project Type: Villages
The North Beach Byron Site has a controversial history. The site was sought to be developed in a decade ago by Club Med as an enclave tourist resort, part of the Club Med chain of resorts world wide. Since the difficulties associated with that application Club Med chose to sell the site.
S J Connelly provides planning advice to BECTON, a company traditionally active in Victoria. We have explored the unique characteristics of the site, the reasons underpinning the Club Med issues and approached the Master Planning of the land on the basis of a design theme which looks at developing the site as a coastal tourist village in terms of scale and character, open to all and involving large hectare environmental repair program with a view to ensuring that the site is, in large part, maintained as a environmental reserve in perpetuity.
This project is ongoing. A master plan was submitted to the Minister pursuant to SEPP 71. However, he found that a master plan was not required. More recently, A conservation, community and development lot subdivision was submitted to DIPNR in December 2004. In July 2005 a 117 Key resort DA was lodged with the Minister. That DA, amended to provide for a staged development approach, was exhibited in March 2006.
Location – Byron, NSW, Australia
Year – 2001 to present
Client – BECTON
North Sapphire Beach
Project Type: Villages
S J Connelly, assisted Sapphire Beach Properties Pty Ltd (ACN 105 819 958) to master plan the site known as “North Sapphire Beach”. A Master Plan was lodged with DIPNR in July 2004 and approved in December 2004. The Plan strives to build upon the specialness of this land and locality and build a true “village community by the sea”, which:
- Establish a strong sense of community and place to foster “village community”;
- Puts in place a range of conservation initiatives to protect flora and fauna;
- Sets aside in perpetuity land in the central portion of the site around the 7(a) zoned wetlands for Aboriginal heritage reserves and proposes a Cultural Heritage Management Plan;
- Adopts site master planning principles modelled on the guidelines recently published by the Coastal Council;
- Uses natural materials that reflect coastal, bushland and subtle indigenous cultural themes;
- Provides for an extensive variety of housing including detached houses, integrated housing and duplex arrangements;
- Integrates with the existing landscape character of the locality;
- Provides for road access and circulation which recognises the street hierarchy, separates pedestrian and vehicular traffic and provides for a “slow movement environment”;
- Adopts water conservation and reuse principles of Water Sensitive Urban Design including site specific reuse proposals;
- Provides for a safe pedestrian and cycleway system;
- Develops site specific building envelopes and building form controls to guide the future development of the site;
- Provides open space which conserves areas of important vegetation and archaeological significance and other provides for passive recreational uses; and
- Is modelled on the NSW Coastal Design Guidelines, it is consistent with the Coastal Policy 1997, adopts the principles set out in the Sustainable Urban Settlement Guidelines (2002), is consistent with Coffs Harbour City Council’s Local Environmental Plan and is consistent with the provisions of the North Coast Regional Environmental Plan and applicable State Environmental Planning Policies.
Location – Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia
Year – 2004
Client – Sapphire Beach Properties Pty Ltd (ACN 105 819 958)
Revesby Urban Village
Project Type: Villages
Steve Connelly undertook schematic design, LEP amendment and DCP preparation for the Revesby Urban Village. This is joint project of Bankstown City Council and the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning. This project involved a “Place Management” approach.
Location – Bankstown, NSW, Australia
Year – 1991 to 2001
Client – Bankstown Council
