As many of you will be aware, approval has been given for land surrounding Coffs Harbour Regional Airport to be subdivided for the creation of a major new enterprise park to house a technology precinct, commercial outlets, aviation services and a light industrial area.
The Development Application (DA) was approved by the independent Northern Region Joint Regional Planning Panel last week, which assessed the DA as it involved ‘Council related development over $5m’.
As part of Council’s multi-faceted approach to ensuring our future financial sustainability, we’ve been identifying options to generate alternative revenue. Creating a new enterprise park of 98 mixed use lots for the region will boost the local economy and establish a sustainable asset for Council and the community.
It’s anticipated that future uses of the 43-hectare site would be a light industrial precinct located in the eastern portion, a technology precinct, a commercial use precinct along the western side and adjacent to Christmas Bells Road, including an identified service centre site on Hogbin Drive and a central aviation precinct including current airport-related functions such as existing runways, taxiways, hangers and facilities.
Key elements of the proposal include a new entrance into the subdivision on Hogbin Drive and two secondary intersections on Christmas Bells Road to the north.
The environment and Aboriginal cultural heritage values have been taken into account and a large portion of the land will be dedicated to Council for biodiversity conservation.
There will also be an overland drainage system with channels and swales and a large onsite retention basin, new landscape plantings in streets and reserves, modified cycle paths along Hogbin Drive, a possible pedestrian link from a bus stop to the development area along Christmas Bells Road, new boardwalks within the reserve areas and a major public art gateway to provide an entry statement to the airport industrial precinct.
The new enterprise park provides a great opportunity to stimulate economic development in Coffs Harbour and the region. To facilitate its development, Council will need to consider funding options to ensure that the development occurs in a staged and sustainable manner.
