Rockdale Local Environmental Plan 2011 - Height of Building Maps (Amendment No 2)

The Planning Proposal seeks to amend Rockdale LEP 2011 to correct errors in the Height of Buildings map sheets HOB_001 to HOB_005. Background to Mapping Error:Rockdale LEP 2011 was notified on 5 December 2011. As a result of a pre-development application process, Council identified a series of errors in the Height of Buildings map. The errors have occurred to specific height limits - all 16 metre and 19 metre height limits across nine (9) local centres have been replaced with a 20.5 metre height limit. The sites were exhibited at the intended heights. The errors were inadvertently made by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure while the Rockdale LEP 2011 maps were being finalised before they, and the written instrument, were notified. Ramsgate Beach Small Village:Council proposes one exception to the mapping errors - to retain the 20.5 metre height limit for the Ramsgate Beach Small Village site. During the preparation of the comprehensive Rockdale LEP 2011, Council officers undertook urban design testing to determine the intended 16 and 19 metre heights across Council's local centres. However, the unique hydrological circumstances at Ramsgate Beach were not considered in the assessment because its extent was unknown at the time.Furthermore, the comprehensive LEP process saw that the Ramsgate Small Village was expanded to the northern side of Ramsgate Road. This resulted in land which was zoned low and medium density zones being rezoned to the B4 Mixed Use zone. This meant that the character of the newly zoned land did not comprise the same character as other existing B4 zoned land in Council's other traditional centres. Having now considered these matters, Council is of the opinion that there is merit in allowing the 20.5 metre height limit, but only in the case of Ramsgate Beach Small Village. This is because the unique circumstances are not evident in any other local centres. A development application (DA-2012/378) has now been lodged with Council for a development proposal which responds to the 20.5 metre height limit.