Residents vent fury over Manyana developments

There are currently up to four developments proposed for the village, with one already underway. 

A shopping centre is one of the developments planned, along with three housing estates, one of which has started listing blocks priced from $270,000. Called Manyana Beach Estate, the development consent shows a 182-block subdivision. 

This is on top of Coast Manyana, which is being developed and includes 40 new homes.

However, residents of the Red Head villages are against the small lot developments and shopping centre,which would significantly increase the size of the town. 

The clearing of coastal woodland forest was of particular concern to residents. 

“There has been no thought into the personality of these developments to suit the coastal village,” resident Jorj Lowrey said. 

“The shopping centre, it is just a big concrete block. 

“When the 182 one goes ahead, it will, combined with the 40 block one already underway, increase Manyana by over a third in one hit.” 

Ms Lowrey said she would support “sustainable development”, such as an eco village. 

“The scale and scope of the developments, and the way in which they are happening, and complete lack of infrastructure support for them as they go ahead, are huge concerns. 

“Even the trucks needed to come here for them to happen is an issue. They will just have to keep fixing the road.”

Protecting animal habitat was also an aim for Ms Lowrey said. 

“We have so many special, rare and threatened species here on the coast,” she said. 

“The more people and the more houses, the less chance these endangered species have. When the Coast development started, residents noticed an influx in frogs, snakes and birds in their backyards. 

“The ones that did survive were completely displaced. 20 odd hectares of old forest is going with Manyana Beach Estate and now they're trying to get another huge parcel of land approved for housing. If we take away another 76 something hectares, where are the animals going to go?” 

Paul Tisdell said the region could not support more residents with employment opportunities. 

“People have to travel a distance to work, if they can get work. The opportunities for employment in Ulladulla and Nowra are very limited. That creates low socioeconomic consciousness,” he said. 

“There is no necessity for more houses here. There is no logic.” 

Neil McGuckin said people didn’t fight the 182-block development when it was lodged more than 10 years ago because “they never thought it would happen”. 

“It is all starting to hit us at a rush,” he said. 

The type of housing the new estates would attract was a concern, Mr McGuckin said. 

“We don’t want just another satellite suburb surrounded by Colorbond fences just for the sake of selling blocks of land,” he said. 

“It would ruin our way of life and lifestyle, and the environment at the same time.”