Glamorgan Spring Bay Council will vote on the Cambria Green draft amendment at its meeting on Tuesday. 

The council’s meeting agenda reveals it received more than 620 submissions for the proposal.

Heritage values, natural values, the scale of the development and flora and fauna were some of the main issues raised, with responses from proponents were included in the agenda.

Irene Inc and Smith Street Studio Planning and Urban Design senior planner Jen Welch addressed some concerns. 

“A number of other issues raised in the representations will be assessed when a development application is made to council,” she said. 

Submissions were also made about settlement strategy, agricultural values, character, the airstrip and traffic.

Heritage values

Any works to Cambria Homestead, which is listed on the Tasmanian Heritage Register, will require a discretionary application in accordance with the Historic Cultural Heritage Act, the developers say.

“Discretionary use and development is subject to consideration of the plan purpose and local area objectives,” Ms Welch said. 

Investigations into the landscape and built heritage of the place have “substantially” increased the knowledge and understanding of the site’s value. 

Natural values and flora and fauna

It is unsurprising a property like Cambria has threatened flora, fauna and vegetation, Ms Welch said. 

“ECOtas identified that the threatened fauna values can be appropriately managed through provisions of existing legislation and policy to achieve a satisfactory conservation outcome,” she said.

The site’s ecological assessment was in “full compliance” with Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment’s Guidelines for Natural Values Assessments. 

“It is recognised that there is potential for development and use of the site to impact on natural values, which is why a detailed assessment was undertaken in the conceptual stages of the project,” she said. 

Scale of the development

Ms Welch said the proponents recognised community concerns about the development’s scale. 

As a result, buildings in precinct one and four must not exceed two hectares. Precinct two must not be bigger than 5000 square metres. 

Precinct three is for agriculture, so controls are not necessary, Ms Welch said. 

The Glamorgan Spring Bay Council will vote on the amendment at its meeting on Tuesday.