FAQ

On 7 December 2017 Council resolved to place a draft Review of the Coffs Harbour CBD Height and Built Form Controls on public exhibition. The public exhibition period will be from Wednesday, 13 December to Friday 16 February 2018.  The draft Review document can be viewed in the document library

The draft Review takes into consideration building height and built form modelling to understand urban design principles as they apply in the Coffs Harbour Central Business District (CBD) “core” area (bounded by the Pacific Highway, Vernon Street, Earl Street and Park Avenue).  It examines a number of scenarios and provides a potential preferred option for future development within the CBD core area, while embracing the vision and driving principles outlined in the Coffs Harbour City Centre Master Plan.

There is opportunity for growth and financial investment in Coffs Harbour CBD. The Department of Planning and Environment identified Coffs Harbour as a Regional City in the 2016 North Coast Regional Plan.

In 2008 the NSW Department of Planning - Cities Taskforce partnered with Coffs Harbour City Council, to do a strategic review of the Coffs Harbour City Centre. The outcome of this review included:

• acknowledgement of the connection between the future economic development and the quality of the greater City Centre area.
• establishment of height and other built form controls to be represented in Council’s Planning documents.
• plans for the CBD based on thinking about urban planning at the time and this resulted in height restrictions in the centre of the CBD that were lower than those of the surrounding parts of the CBD.

The Coffs Harbour City Centre Masterplan 2031 was developed in 2012 and adopted by Council on 23 February 2013. This Masterplan built on the work of the Cities Taskforce and outlined priorities and strategies to work toward a vibrant CBD through a number of place-specific projects.

The recent Development Application (DA), and the subsequent approval of the Hotel development on the corner of Gordon Street and Harbour Drive has highlighted the potential restrictive nature of the current Local Environmental Plan (LEP) development controls, which may not be in the interest of the future growth, competitiveness and vibrancy of Coffs Harbour.

On 7 December 2017 Council resolved to place a draft Review of the Coffs Harbour CBD Height and Built Form Controls on public exhibition. The draft Review provides the opportunity for an independent perspective, along with your input, to help shape the future development of the Coffs Harbour CBD. We want to consider the range of issues that might affect planning for the CBD to balance the needs of residents, businesses, visitors and investors.

To assist stakeholders to picture these changes and to assist in Council’s decision making 3D models have been prepared and are included in the draft Review document to illustrate options for how the CBD might look in the future. Two workshops were held in mid September 2017 which have provided valuable feedback directly to Council and the project team on issues surrounding the CBD built form and the draft scenarios presented at the workshops.

The community are being invited to make submissions based on the recommendations of the study. A draft Review is on exhibition for public comment until 16 February 2018.

If the outcome of the exhibition process is a recommendation for change to the existing development controls, further work would include the preparation of a Planning Proposal. This would then be publically exhibited, prior to any decision by Council to proceed. Any changes proposed to the CBD development controls would require final approval by the Department of Planning and Environment.

Learn more: 

Refer to the "Document Library" contents which include the draft Review currently on public exhibition for comment, 3D models which illustrate the maximum building height currently permitted within the CBD, as well as a summary presentation of the draft Review.

Lodge a submission during the public exhibition period:

The exhibition period will be from Wednesday, 13 December 2017 to Friday 16 February 2018. The documents can also be viewed at the Coffs Harbour City Council Administration Building.

Written submissions can also be submitted and are to be addressed to the General Manager, Locked Bag 155, Coffs Harbour 2450, or emailed to coffs.council@chcc.nsw.gov.au Written submissions are to be submitted no later than close of business on Friday 16 February 2018.

For further information, email or call us on

+612 6648 4657 - marten.bouma@chcc.nsw.gov.au or

+612 6648 4409 - sarah.parbery@chcc.nsw.gov.au or

+612 6648 4660 - sharon.smith@chcc.nsw.gov.au