Application has been received by Shellharbour City Council to develop a Boarding House in peaceful Shellharbour Village. This could set a precedent for more of these high density premises to be built in our village. The current application sees a house in Darley St on a 500sqm block of land demolished to make way for a 11 room boarding house capable of housing up to 22 people.
Boarding houses are the latest great cash grab by developers in NSW, capitilising on planning changes introduced by the Govt in 2009. Shellharbour village has so far avoided any of these new Boarding houses, but the residents of this quiet, historic coastal village are now coming to terms with what these developments may mean to this peaceful haven.
High density living, crammed on small narrow blocks, housing transient tenants in low density residential areas. Located near the local school, it will house (according to boarding house statistics) 80% males, 78% of who will be unemployed. With no onsite manager, this is a recipe for disaster and a nightmare to neighbouring property owners.
This is not an altruistic developer, aiming to provide affordable accommodation to those in need. It is an opportunistic cash grab, aiming to get in before the Govt changes the rules (Yes… the Government has realised this legislation has not provided the right results and changes are on the way). In the mean-time developers continue placing high density living complexes in Low Density residential areas. This development will only bring suffering to those in the area.
Please object to these developments in Shellharbour Village.