This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
BADAGARANG has been announced as the name of a new suburb on the NSW South Coast that will be home to thousands of people, but concerns have been raised about the lack of infrastructure that will support the residents, as well as the fate of the Nowra bypass.
Shoalhaven City Council last week gazetted the 425-hectare new suburb, which runs along both sides of Moss Vale Road between Bomaderry and Cambewarra Village across the two existing rural locations of Cambewarra and Meroo Meadow.
“It’s a beautiful location that will provide 3,500 new homes to the region and help to reduce the pressure on the current housing market,” said Shoalhaven Mayor Amanda Findley.
The name represents a traditional totem of the Dharawal people, the Eastern Grey Kangaroo and was chosen in consultation with the Nowra Local Aboriginal Land Council and Council’s Aboriginal Advisory Committee.
“This name honours the cultural heritage of our First Nations People in a similar way as Bomaderry and Cambewarra in the neighbouring suburbs,” Findley said.
However, plans given out so far for the new suburb do not detail any new infrastructure such as schools, hospitals or medical centres, or shopping centres.
Findley, who is the South Coast candidate for the Greens in the upcoming NSW election, was on hand last month to help launch the Greens NSW’s rural and regional healthcare package.
“The South Coast is experiencing a serious and growing health crisis that can be quickly turned around with targeted investment to the region,” Findley said about healthcare under resourcing in the region.
The new suburb also sits right on the proposed route of the proposed Nowra Bypass, which was assigned $65 million for planning and preparatory works by the federal government in January, bringing the total joint commitment with the NSW government to $105 million.
Residents have taken to Shoalhaven City Council’s Facebook page to voice their displeasure at the plans.
“And how is the Shoalhaven planning on accommodating the necessary demands to service another 7-10000 residents?? Where are the schools, day care, medical centres, specialist medical professionals, high schools, roads, parking, shopping???” wrote one person.
Another wrote, “Seems council allows these developments without first building the infrastructure to support this many additional people to the area! Also please tell me where the promised bypass will run!”
