Date: 13 November 2019 Time: 2pm Place: Pelican Waters Golf Club
Attendees: Ben Prior (Development Manager Palm Lakes) and Ken Mewburn, Jude Crighton, Jill Chamberlain, John Roberts and Paul Harney (TAPP)
Preamble
TAPP contacted Manuel Lang, the Palm Lake CEO, to request a meeting with senior management to discuss the outcomes Palm Lakes were expecting to meet in their over 50s development, especially in relation to the environment. Ben Prior, Palm Lakes Development Manager, contacted Paul Harney, President of TAPP, to organise a meeting. Palm Lakes developers were informed by the local council that they may be contacted by community groups interested in the Palm Lakes development.
Summary of Discussion
Ben explained his role and that Palm Lakes has 25 over 50s developments in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
TAPP members spoke about their ongoing engagement with developers whose developments impacted the Pumicestone Passage over the past 10 years.
The TAPP group explained that its purpose is to protect and enhance Pumicestone Passage environment including the catchment.
The Palm Lakes development will consist of 324 two bed units and one 3+ bedroom house for the manager.
The timeframe for the development to reach completion is 8 years.
The requirement of Council in relation to the environment, Ben explained, is the highest benchmark Palm Lakes have had to meet.
Palm Lakes has had to put up $1 million as a bond to ensure they meet the environmental targets set in the Development Plan.
Cardno completed a Flooding & Coastal Hazard Assessment Report in July 2019 for the local Council which has set high standards of compliance for Palm Lakes development. The report analysed a number of areas including the extension of the existing lake area, sustainable vegetation buffers to Bells Creek and the raising of the area for unit development by a metre plus.
Cardno will also play a monitoring role to ensure compliance.
An example of the environment requirements is that there are two areas that will need to be relocated as they are environmentally sensitive – one is a frog habitat and the other is a crayfish habitat.
Palm Lakes are required to improve the club house facilities and to add more facilities for the enjoyment of new and exisiting residents.
The next phase is the monitoring of erosion levels etc in order to benchmark the current situation before work begins on meeting the environmental targets.
Astro turf will be used to limit the use of fertiliser impact on the lakes and the soil extracted from the extension of the lake will be used to build up the unit development area.
Ben also indicated that he would organise for the TAPP group to meet with the Cardno environmental professionals. Ben and Paul will stay in contact and organise the next meeting at an appropriate time.
