WaterNSW flags refusal of approval for Clovelly development

A proposed development at 36 Cliffbrook Parade, Clovelly, faces a significant external approval hurdle after WaterNSW advised the Randwick Local Planning Panel that it intends to refuse the General Terms of Approval required for the project.

The application, D60/26, also identified as DA/26/2026, is integrated development requiring approval under the Water Management Act 2000. WaterNSW said the applicant had not provided enough information about the proposed basement design or the development’s potential impacts on groundwater resources.

WaterNSW’s advice concerns an intended refusal, rather than a confirmed final decision. The timing of any further determination was not specified.

The panel’s assessment also raised concerns about the proposal’s scale and intensity, building separation, residential amenity, solar access, daylight access, communal facilities, activation, servicing and overall design quality. It described the proposal as an overdevelopment of the site and said it was not an appropriate planning outcome.

Neighbouring view loss was identified as an issue, with Level 1 rumpus and study areas contributing to impacts. Other concerns included acoustic amenity, floor-to-ceiling heights, motorcycle parking, loading, waste collection and servicing.

The proposal also raised landscaping concerns and would require the removal of a tree on adjoining land without written consent from the affected owner.

Information about community infrastructure and affordable housing contributions was inadequate, leaving Randwick City Council unable to establish whether the relevant requirements of the Randwick Local Environmental Plan 2012 had been met. The application also sought variations to floor space ratio and private co-living room size standards, but did not provide adequate written justification or environmental planning grounds for those variations.

The supplied decision material does not establish whether D60/26 was approved, refused, deferred or otherwise determined. The panel’s formal determination, including any adopted conditions or refusal reasons, requires verification before the application’s status is reported as final.