A $10million aged-care development at Jannali is in danger of being strangled in bureaucratic red tape.
Thomas Holt Village, which has provided aged care in Sutherland Shire since 1956, wants to build 15 self-care units at a site adjoining Jannali East Public School in Box Road.
This would allow some residents at its Sutherland site to be moved, permitting demolition of older buildings and their replacement with highest contemporary-standard housing for self-care, nursing and hostel residents.
After three years of the proposal being kicked around bureaucracies, Sutherland Shire Council has given Thomas Holt Village until tomorrow to get all State Government approvals or start again.
The problem is that the Rural Fire Service (RFS) wants a legal letter from the Education Department approving clearing of undergrowth in a fire-prone area in the Jannali East Public School site, of which the department has already agreed to pay a substantial sum.
The sticking point is that the Education Department's legal office will not be able to produce the letter for another three to four weeks.
``The stupid part about it is that a bushfire would have to burn through the school to get to the old folks,'' one source involved in the wrangle said.
A spokesman for Thomas Holt Village said it had spent $3million purchasing the Jannali site and probably faced a total additional bill of $1million in architects and other consultants' fees.
``The only sticking point of which we are aware is the letter to the RFS from the Education Department and we are informed by the department the letter is making its way through its legal office'' he said.
``We are at a loss as to why we are now being told by the council that all bets are off by tomorrow.
``Why can't they give a consent conditional upon the outstanding condition being met?
``This has been going on for more than three years and we have long waiting lists for aged-care accommodation.
``Shutting down the project will delay it for many months as we start again and cost more as we incur more council and other fees for a fresh development application.''
However, the council must negotiate its own red-tape problems in trying to resolve the issue.
A council spokeswoman said State Government planning regulations about building aged-persons' accommodation in fire-prone areas had changed since the original development application was lodged.
``Unfortunately, we cannot now legally approve it,'' she said.
``We believe we have been quite understanding of this development application. We fully acknowledge the community benefit and the shortage of accommodation for aged persons.
``It will require a new development application that meets the state planning requirements and we have offered to give back the portion of the associated costs we can refund.''