Minutes for the Berry Forum Committee Meeting
At the Uniting Church on Monday February 3, 2020 at 8.30am 

Present: David Carter (Chair), Stuart Coughlan, Garry Broadbridge, Gail Paton, John Underwood, David Brawn, Heather Macdonald, James Robinson, Geoff Armstrong, Laurie Watson, Mary Beare.
Apologies: John Cullity

Minutes of the Meeting held 9 December 2019 – Approved.     Actions arising – None

Planning & Development

  • Council’s CEO has advised that, due to lack of internal resources, the complaint against the Forum has been referred to an independent conduct investigator.

Action: David to request that investigator provides Terms of Ref and sets up a meeting.

  • Draft Planning Proposal for 55 Wire Lane – Councillors voted to send the PP to the DPE for Gateway assessment.
  • Local Strategic Planning Statement – an online survey is the council website
  • Mananga Homestead DAs – we will invite the proponent to speak at the Forum meeting. The cabins DA has been amended from 4 to 3 but the DA does not comply with the SLEP or SDCP.
  • 52 Parker Crescent status – Council to advise date of Residents Briefing
  • Temporary Function Centres – response to Chamber email to be sent.
  • Forum fund to support Committee legal costs – agreed that we will set up funding requests for single issues as they arise.

Clr John Wells discussion
Clr Wells will inform executives of Chamber that the information about reducing functions from 52 to 26 weeks did not come from the Forum. He will advise us after his meeting next week.

Infrastructure & Facilities

  • Berry amenities upgrade at Apex Park – On track
  • Edward St bridge –We will advise Council that the works are not appropriate for Berry.

Shoalhaven Solar Farm – Good progress is being made by Repower with planning for the construction of a community solar farm in Nowra in late 2020. Council has allocated land to be leased and a DA has been lodged. Repower is working with an electricity wholesaler called Flow Power who is funding the pre-construction work including the interconnection with the Endeavour Energy network. It is expected that the community will be offered the opportunity to invest in the solar farm in due course. 

Draft Agenda for Forum Meeting on 13 February

  • Planning – LSPS, 55 Wire Lane, Parker Cr, TFCs and Mananga DA
  • Infrastructure updates – amenities upgrade and Edward St bridge
  • Correspondence / General Business 

Council Matters
Community Recovery meetings – bushfire recovery
Council election – candidates meeting mid-July ?

Other Business

  • Boongaree – James advised that Lilly Hutchinson’s is surveying tourists and locals with a completion date of 2023 for stage one. Clr Wells is proposing Council borrow the balance of the cost for the park as interest rates are so low
  • James spoke to the planning proposal for the land north of the Arbor.

Meeting closed 10:40 am
Next Committee meeting – 2 March   Next Forum meeting – 9 April