Council
25 January, 2026
Staff support DA proposal despite 92 objections
A controversial proposal for a new childcare centre in Moss Vale will go before Wingecarribee’s Local Planning Panel (LPP) on Wednesday – it’s first meeting for the year.
A controversial proposal for a new childcare centre in Moss Vale will go before Wingecarribee’s Local Planning Panel (LPP) on Wednesday – it’s first meeting for the year.
Council staff have recommended the application be approved conditionally – despite 92 objections from local residents.
The application has been referred to the LPP because it attracted 10 or more ‘unique’ submissions by way of objection and is therefore considered ‘contentious’.
The application from Best Kidz Management is for alterations and additions to an existing dwelling in Farnborough Close for use as a childcare centre facility for 80 children.
It also includes the construction of a driveway and car parking areas for use by staff and parents as well as landscaping.
When the proposal was exhibited last year it attracted 93 submissions – 92 of them objections.
Council staff say that 18 of the submissions were received by way of submission and were therefore not considered ‘unique’.
Objections relate primarily to traffic impacts – particularly in relation to sight lines and congestion.
Staff say the sight lines are acceptable and that traffic calculations prepared by the applicant’s consultant have been reviewed “and supported by council’s engineering team”.
Staff have also dismissed concerns relating to parking and amenity.
However it seems some staff from council’s water and sewer section have concerns about how the development may impact on council’s infrastructure.
Regardless, planning staff say the development “will not adversely or unduly impact the locality” and is deemed within the public interest.
“The development proposed is consistent and is acceptable under all relevant planning controls and requirements and will not result in health and safety risks to the public beyond reasonable doubt,” a report prepared for Wednesday’s LPP meeting says.
Resident Dianne Riley – who will address Wednesday’s meeting – said residents were “astounded” that their concerns had been ignored.
She said the staff report showed little understanding of the impact of the development on residents of The Tudor Estate – a zoned residential area.
Mrs Riley said most residents of the estate were retired or worked part time and had no need for this type of facility in the vicinity.
She said they were happy “leisurely walking the safe streets” with their dogs.
Mrs Riley said parents would be unlikely to use the 20 carparking spaces proposed for ‘visitors’ as part of the development.
She said it would be too congested “and with time at an essence for drop off and pick up, we will have public safety at risk as cars are haphazardly parked on the street - which isn't wide enough to facilitate this”.
She said Farnborough Close had two blind corners and no footpaths.
She said the only public transport was 900 metres away on the Illawarra Highway “which to my knowledge of being a resident for nine years has never been used”.
Mrs Riley said she would have three minutes to address Wednesday’s meeting with no opportunity to ask questions.
Read More: Moss Vale, Southern Highlands