PLANNING AMENDMENT C286 

C286 is the amendment to introduce height limits and setbacks in Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento. The amendment aims to ensure that appropriate and permanent mandatory design controls apply in the precinct to ensure future development protects and respects the low-scale, coastal and historical character of the area whilst allowing for reasonable growth to occur in line with the township’s broader role and function.

This amendment was rejected by the Minister for Planning 3 years ago and the Shire was requested to provide further reasons why height limits should be included in Planning Regulations for this area.

After consultation with community groups and the community, it was agreed to resubmit a revised version of C286. 

The revised version in summary provides for:

• introduction of Development Design Overlay (DDO) 28 which allows a maximum of three storey (nine metre) wall height facing Ocean Beach Road with a set back of four metres on the third storey. 
• the East sub-precinct (Rusty's Corner) is limited to two storey (eight metre) wall height to balance with the wall height of the former Koonya Hotel and surrounding domestic buildings. 
• building height in Morce Avenue is limited to three storey with no building roof line to be any higher than any roof line of a building facing Ocean Beach Road
• buildings adjacent to any historiacal building must be set back to match the setback of that historical adjoining building.
• height limits in side streets are two storey (9 metres).

At its meeting of 28 May 2024, the Shire agreed to:

• adopt the revised version C286
• make the revised document available for public exhibition
• Request that the Minister for Planning extend the expiry dates of the current DDO28 to 31 July 2025 and the Sorrento Heritage Design Guidelines to 30 June 2026 to prevent any opportunistic developers applying to build more than three storeys. 

The NRA will be notified when the C286 comes back on exhibition.