ALMOST 70 people attended a meeting of North Cronulla Precinct Committee at Cronulla High School last week to express their concerns over zoning changes and housing targets.
Committee secretary Marilyn Urch said the roll-up showed the rising level of concerns at the planning changes under Sutherland Shire Council's housing strategy and Local Environmental Plan.
"We get a good roll-up normally but we got three times more than usual," she said. "People are concerned about this housing strategy.
"The maps and targets are changing from day to day.
"Prince Street, Cronulla, was initially slated for nine storeys or 30 metres and floor space ratio of 3:1, which was ridiculous. Then they dropped that down to six storeys or 20 metres."
She said an area that included Bate Bay, Hume, Elouera and Kirkwood roads was orginally six storeys (20 metres). "It is now scaled down to medium density townhouses of up to nine metres or three storeys," she said.
"In the whole of North Cronulla there won't be any single residences left, so people won't have a choice.
"There is no other area in the shire that is totally rezoned like this.
"This council seems to be going way over what is required by the state government in the metropolitan planning strategy, which says the shire needs an additional 10,100 homes by 2031.
"The previous council identified sufficient capacity for 7400 new homes, meaning an extra 2700 extra dwellings to make the target.
"But these new zoning changes identify an extra 3681 dwellings, with areas in Cronulla and North Cronulla have yet to have confirmed numbers.
"People should check the maps on the council website and see what is proposed."
Committee chairman Ian Sinclair said many residents at the meeting did not support the proposed changes as shown in the draft plan as they would significantly change the character of the area.
The residents and the committee will be making submissions once the final plans are available.
Shire Watch Independents councillor Peter Towell, who addressed the meeting, said housing strategies were normally about housing choice.
"But around the beach suburbs under this plan there is less choice in the form of the traditional residential allotment," he said.
"It seems to be all about high-rise.
What do you think about the proposed zoning changes?
