Droneport application receives 10 submissions
The application for a droneport to be located on the roof of the Peninsula Plaza at 48-64 Blackwall Rd, Woy Woy, has received 10 submissions, according to Central Coast Council's planning portal.
Eight of the 10 complained about the lack of adequate community consultation and transparency.
Seven complained about the potential for noise pollution.
Four complained about the lack of detail in the application, and three had concerns about the dangers of drone operations to infrastructure and public.
Other issues raised were harmful effects on wildlife, privacy concerns, lack of council planning, incompatibility with an E1 zone and the Peninsula being an unsuitable area for this kind of operation.
Lack of transparency about the meeting between Council Administrator Mr Rik Hart and Woolworths about the proposal to purchase adjacent land in Austin Butler Reserve appears to have resulted in a lack of trust in the council.
One submission states: "One cannot but think back to how this 'putting the cart before the horse' proposal might have looked had Woolworths persuaded the Administrator to sell off Austen Butler Reserve without adequate community consultation."
It says the consultation "was actually forced on Council's Administrator and not initiated by him in his personal strong support for the proposal".
"Those now-saved Austen Butler Reserve trees might still later be the subject of a Woolworths Woy Woy application to Council for severe trimming or even removal to facilitate drone movement on the relevant rooftop boundary side."
Another submission quotes the applicant's intention to seek approval of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority between March and April and asks that the outcome of this be placed in the public domain for comment.
One submission is heavily redacted.
The submission refers to the proposed droneport being in "close proximity" to a "high security facility", where "the activities conducted" are of a "sensitive nature" and "recording devices are commonly used".
It claims the droneport "could potentially compromise the integrity of the premises and the safety of staff and stakeholders" and "undermine the integrity" of the facility's operation.
"Consideration should be given to flight path restrictions and hours of operation."
The Council has not explained its redactions, which do not appear to be requested in the submission or its covering letter.
Normally, redactions are limited to personal privacy and protecting the identity of individuals.
However, they go beyond that in this case.
Another submission simply asks the down-to-earth question not answered in the application: "How does the parachute get returned?"
The submissions are publicly-available on the Council's planning portal as part of the documentation for the application DA/204/2024.
SOURCE:
DA Tracker, 28 Apr 2024
DA/204/2024, Central Coast Council