I wish to oppose proposed development.
This development is completely out of character for the area which currently consists of one and two storey homes and a few apartment blocks, none of which can be viewed from the beach.
I have owned my holiday home in Hawks Nest since 2001. In that time, the main road from the highway to Tea Gardens/Gardens has not been upgraded. The road frequently floods, is poorly maintained and is far too narrow for increased traffic.
The proposed development will not reduce any housing shortage as it will be primarily occupied by “out of town” people and short term AirBNB type accommodation. Currently there are more homes and apartments unoccupied in Hawks Nest than occupied. Winter season housing demand is very low. The village experiences an influx of tourists twice a year, and the rest of the year it remains a quiet fishing village. The proposed development is a speculative holiday development and will do nothing to accelerate owner occupied housing.
The proposed development anticipates substantial permanent housing occupation that does not reflect the reality of Hawks Nest now or into the foreseeable future.
There is a nationwide shortage of construction skills and capital. This project, if approved, will misallocate both of these.
We do not have a hospital, the nearest being more than a 75 minute drive from Hawks Nest. There is not a high school in the area, nor a tertiary education facility within 50kms. There is a bus service to Newcastle and Taree three times a day and a ferry service a couple of times each day to Nelson Bay. The nearest railway station is more than 60km from Hawks Nest. That is the extent of our public transport.
The proposed development would sacrifice an enormous number of trees and wildlife with very little plantings to replace them. The canopy loss would be catastrophic for wildlife and humans.
I believe there is a potential for misuse of Indigenous land to create access from the development to the beach
Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens are ecologically sensitive coastal communities. Development of this scale and type will set a dangerous precedent for future developments.

Please see attached objection

See Attachment

Developments in Sand Dunes a Concern
Building in sand dunes represents significant environmental, community and structural risks. Primary concerns include severe coastal erosion, the destruction of fragile dune ecosystems and native wildlife habitats. There are many examples of these occurrences including Sydney northern beaches, Wamberal beach, Stockton beach and the Gold Coast. The extreme degradation of Jimmy’s beach is already a significant problem in the Hawks Nest area.
The specific issue concerning the Sanderling development is that it will pose a significant risk to the sand dunes of the immediate areas of the development. These risks could include:
1. Severe coastal erosion. Dunes are dynamic fragile systems which can be severely impacted by buildings destroying the natural buffer that protects inland areas from storm surges and waves. Over time this results in shoreline recession and property damage as is evident in the examples mentioned.
2. Destruction of flora fauna. Clearing native vegetation exposes the sand to wind which accelerates the destabilization of the dune. This will destroy habitats for local fauna especially the nesting of coastal birds in the dunes.
3. Pedestrian traffic. Public access to the beach is one of the major causes of beach erosion. Although fenced areas are a simple solution they are often ignored if they obstruct direct access to the beaches.
It is difficult, costly and is a long term prospect to stabilize a sand dune system as is evident at nearby Jimmy’s Beach.
A major concern is that if this development is approved then others will follow resulting in this delicate dune ecosystem being irreparably damaged. Storm surges are becoming more frequent coastal stabilization will become a long term and costly operation.
There is a very real risk to this idyllic environment for this development to be approved and proceed.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to the Department of Planning and Infrastructure to voice my strong objection to the multi storey tower blocks proposed for Sanderling Ave Hawks Nest. And my concerns regarding the perceived lack of probity concerning sales transactions and changes to land zonings for this site.

Please note this submission replaces my previous submission which had the incorrect attachment.
Please replace the earlier submission with this correct attachment.
Hope this is acceptable.
Regards Judy