Councillors asked for further specific details on drainage before voting earlier this month to defer it to the next Council meeting for the ultimate decision. 

Councillors Ray Walsh and Jack Mallon excused themselves from voting, Cr Walsh citing his executive position on the St Raphael’s Parish and Jack Mallon, his faith as a Catholic. 

The sub division is owned by the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst and was sent back to the drawing board last year when it first appeared in public.

It will be sandwiched between the Chardonnay Hills development to its west and Redfern St to its east.

As a result of preliminary assessment advice including the comments from the RMS, the applicant submitted an amended 108 lot subdivision plan.

According to a report from the Environmental Services Director provided to councillors, the development involves the creation of 108 new lots in seven proposed development stages, however, the applicant has requested that all stages be approved.

All lots are for future dwelling house purposes with the exception of a handful labelled as suitable for future medium density unit development and one as a possible future site for community facilities. 

Lot sizes range from 779 metres squared to 1,448m squared.

Access to all lots with the exception of proposed Lots 101 -105 will be gained from new internal roads; some will have direct access to Redfern St. 

A  main entrance will be constructed on Redfern St that will function as an extension of Burgundy St from the eastern boundary of the adjacent Chardonnay Hills development. 

The proposed design includes a 20 metre wide public reserve for the full frontage to Pridham St, and a 10 metre wide public reserve fronting Redfern St from Pridham St north to the intersecting drainage reserve. 

An additional public reserve of 1,152m squared is located in the vicinity of a ‘scar tree’.