Johnson Property Group says the marina at its $388-million Trinity Point development, in Morisset Park, will be up and running early next year.
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But the developer’s controversial helipad proposal has landed in the Land and Environment Court.
JPG’s development director Bryan Garland said the access road and car park for the 188-berth marina were under construction.
“Our expectations are that come early 2019 the marina will be fully operational,” Mr Garland said.
The marina will feature an underground fuel storage tank.
The marina is a key component of the Trinity Point project which will also include a 65-room Pullman hotel, day spa, gym, restaurant, function centre and 250 luxury apartments.
Mr Garland said the marina would not open in isolation.
“In the last two weeks Lake Macquarie City Council have granted us development consent for the installation of a temporary 150-seat restaurant,” he said.
The restaurant is expected to open at about the same time as the marina.
It will be installed near the marina car park.
The future is not so clear for the future of the most contentious aspect of the Trinity Point Resort and Marina – the helipad.
JPG had been awaiting decisions from the Department of Planning and Environment on its modified concept plan, and from Lake Macquarie City Council on an environmental impact statement for the helipad.
Mr Garland said both of JPG’s applications regarding the helipad had been referred to the Land and Environment Court for a decision.
JPG wants to install a 20-metre by 20-metre helipad pontoon with a 30-metre wide managed safety zone during the helicopter landings and take-offs only.
There would be a maximum of eight movements per day (four landings and four departures).
Residents have raised concerns about noise, flight frequency, public access, safety, pollution, effects on wildlife, and what they consider to be the insufficient economic argument to justify the helipad’s impacts on the community.
The temporary restaurant, meanwhile, was approved with conditions, a council spokesperson said.
“The temporary restaurant has indoor and outdoor spaces including a marquee area,” they said. “It is approved to house 150 patrons, with 120 maximum outside at any one time. Approved hours of operation of the restaurant are 7am to midnight, however any amplified music must be contained indoors, with doors required to be closed after 10pm.”
Mr Garland said JPG was also in discussions with Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) over its recommendation in 2015 that the developer be required to pay the state government a $769,000 contribution towards the cost of the upgrade of the intersection of Fishery Point Road and Macquarie Street, in Morisset.
JPG argues that it should no longer be required to pay the money because the works have since been fully funded by the government.
“The RMS have got that intersection under construction and the documentation that has been made public from the RMS says the NSW government has, under the Network Efficiency Program, allocated $3.3 million to install traffic lights and upgrade the intersection,” Mr Garland said.
“Therefore, we question why we would need to pay a monetary contribution if that intersection is already happening.”
In a letter to the Department of Planning and Environment, council wrote:
“As the intersection is a state road intersection that is being funded by the state, council does not raise any issues with the proposal either in support or in objection [to JPG’s request].”
JPG has so far paid council $2.1 million in developer contributions for residential subdivisions at Trinity Point, with more to come for proposed tourism and residential components of the project, the spokesperson said.
