DA Lodged for Multipurpose and Evacuation Centre

Published on 07 March 2025

Council’s Multipurpose and Evacuation Centre project is one step closer to realisation, with its Development Application lodged this week.

Following a comprehensive design consultation process in which community members were invited to provide feedback on the project’s concept designs, the Council’s appointed Architects have now lodged the Development Application (DA) through the NSW Planning Portal.

An independent and experienced town planning contractor, Jeremy Swan from the Planning Hub Sydney, will now undertake the independent assessment of the project on behalf of Council.

Council’s Acting Director Community, Corporate and Development, Nick Wilton said it was not appropriate that Council staff assess the application, given that Council is both the applicant and also the consent authority.

“Mr Swan is a highly respected Town Planning professional with extensive experience in the merit assessment of these types of projects, and he will undertake an assessment in accordance with the requirements of the EPA Act and make a recommendation on the application,” Mr Wilton explained.

Mr Wilton said Council has also requested the preparation of a Probity Plan and the appointment of a probity advisor to oversee the process.

“It is not unusual for a project with this scale for a probity advisor to be appointed to oversee all processes relating to the project to ensure community confidence in the process,” he said.

Once the DA is reviewed, adjoining and adjacent property owners will receive a Neighbour Notification Letter at their registered mail address, in accordance with Council’s Community Participation Plan, and the DA will be placed on public exhibition for a period of 28 days.

Council will advise the public of the exhibition period and how to access the documents via its dedicated MEC newsletter, local press and radio, and on its website and social media platforms.

Mr Wilton said the twenty-eight-day public exhibition period was longer than the required statutory 14 days as stated under the Council’s Community Participation Plan.

“We have extended the exhibition period to ensure the public has the time to be properly informed about the project's merits and, if warranted, have the opportunity to prepare a submission,” he explained.

As the project is Council–led with a $5M capital investment value, by law, Council is also required to refer the matter to the New South Wales Southern Regional Planning Panel (SRPP) once it has been independently assessed.

The SRPP members are appointed randomly from a pool of state government and council appointed representatives, following the panel's operational guidelines.

In making a determination, the SRPP will have regard to the assessment report, public submissions made during exhibition, and relevant planning legislation and policies.

The SRPP often also hosts public meetings for contentious matters with significant community interest so the panel can hear from those who wish to express their views on the DA before a decision is made.

Mr Wilton explained that the SRRP will be responsible for the consideration of the independent assessment recommendations and will ultimately decide the proposal, including any draft conditions of consent or any recommended reasons for refusal.

“It’s imperative that the community has the utmost confidence in the assessment process regardless of whether the public is in support or opposing the development,” said Mr Wilton.

“Ensuring the checks and balances are in place will guarantee that the outcome is respected, despite the determination. With these proposed measures, I am confident that the highest level of probity and transparency in the assessment process will be applied.”

To learn more about the project and subscribe to Council’s MEC eNewsletter, visit www.svc.nsw.gov.au/MEC

Council received funding from the NSW Government and Commonwealth Government’s Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (BLERF) to build a Multipurpose Centre in Tumut which has sufficient capacity to double as an Evacuation Centre in times of emergency.

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