Review hits home for Tweed residents

This online forum and surveys has concluded. You can still review the project and project comments.

Council's review of its Tweed Housing Code is inviting community members to provide feedback on what they would like homes and residential areas in the Tweed to look like in the future.

A total of seven discussion papers will be released by Council as part of the review and its community engagement campaign. Four of the discussion papers will be available to download when the www.yoursaytweed.com.au/tweedhousing page is launched on 5 September.

Community surveys and online forum discussions will be launched for each of these discussion papers will begin on this webpage the following Monday (12 September). Members of the community will be able to complete the surveys and participate in the discussions until Wednesday 5 October.

Council's review of its Tweed Housing Code is inviting community members to provide feedback on what they would like homes and residential areas in the Tweed to look like in the future.

A total of seven discussion papers will be released by Council as part of the review and its community engagement campaign. Four of the discussion papers will be available to download when the www.yoursaytweed.com.au/tweedhousing page is launched on 5 September.

Community surveys and online forum discussions will be launched for each of these discussion papers the following Monday (12 September). Members of the community will be able to complete the surveys and participate in the discussions until Wednesday 5 October.

The other three discussion papers will be released and available on the Tweed Housing webpage later this year.

"How much flexibility do people want to see in the controls which regulate housing design in this area?" Council's Director of Planning and Regulation, Vince Connell, said.

"Flexible regulations allow owners to create homes which meet their needs and aesthetic desires must be balance against the need for controls to protect the overall amenity of the Tweed. That includes controls on how much housing blocks can be modified by cut-and-fill and other methods to accommodate a home.

"Small variations in these controls could allow a significant change in the character of the Tweed."

Members of the building design and construction industry and the wider community are being asked to comment on a series of seven discussion papers produced by Council to review of Part A of its Tweed Development Control Plan (DCP) A1 for Residential and Tourist Development.

The discussion papers address issues of designing in context for climate and character, landscaping, small lot design, managing sloping sites, building envelopes and ancillary structures such as garages and swimming pools.

Each discussion paper invites members of the community to review the information and options and provide comment to inform amendments to the DCP.

"We would be engaging with people in the building design and construction industry to encourage their input," Mr Connell said.

"However, this is an issue that is close to home for everyone that lives or owns residential property in the Tweed. Not only does it have the potential to affect the homes they live in, it stands to have a dramatic effect on how the Tweed's residential areas look in years to come.

"We will provide a number of ways for members of the community to have their say, including the online forums and surveys on this site and a number of information stalls," he said.

"The community feedback will be used to create a DCP amendment, which will be formally exhibited during a second stage of engagement in early 2012, giving the community further opportunity for input."

Click here to view copies of the discussion papers. Printed copies are available to view at Council's Customer Service Centres in Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads, at the libraries in Kingscliff, Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads and on Council's corporate website at www.tweed.nsw.gov.au.