JUST a week after a last minute move to withdraw an application to build a $17 million seniors village behind Soldiers Point Bowling Club, the matter has been approved by Port Stephens Council.
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It was given the green light at Tuesay's (April 15) council meeting.
In the space of seven days the council has sought and received a peer review from a "suitably qualified planning and ecological firm" and an extraordinary meeting was scheduled to take place on Tuesday night to make a decision.
At last week's meeting the council's general manager Peter Gesling withdrew the application at the eleventh hour stating "questions about the process" had been raised.
The news came after conflicting reports from within Port Stephens Council for further information on the environmental impact of the development.
The council's natural resources assessment called for a species impact statement (SIS) to investigate the development's impact on koalas and the red helmet orchid (C. dowlingii), an endangered and vulnerable species under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.
But the council's development assessment and compliance section manager Matthew Brown said an SIS was not required.
The council's peer review report had stated that an SIS was not needed.
"This peer review was received on 10 April 2014 and in summary, supports the validity of the original assessment in that an SIS is not required," Mr Brown's report stated.
However, the risk that the council could be challenged in the Land and Environment Court by a third party or NSW Office of Environment and Heritage still remains.
Before the meeting, and as the Examiner went to print, Port Stephens Mayor Bruce MacKenzie said he was confident the application would be approved. He said it was a great development for the area which would provide much-needed senior living housing.