197 It was contended by Mr Porter that the impact on services would be neglible because most of the population (75-90 %) for the new village would be drawn from the Illawara region. As a result there would only be a minor impact on services and any impact that did occur would be spread over a number of years as the development proceeded. Dr Stubbs disgreed and estimated that 75 % would probably come from outside Kiama and 50 % from outside the region, with the bulk being drawn from the Sydney area. Part of her argument for the large number of people likley to come from the Sydney region was that the Woodstock development was generating a demand rather than fufilling the needs of the local population (estimated by Dr Stubbs to be 50 households from Jamberoo village).
198 Mr Porter relied frequently upon the experience of the Tea Gardens developmnet as a corollary for the Woodstock proposal, particularly in terms of resident integration into the local community. Analysis of this development by BBC Planners, indicates that contrary to the oral evidence given by Mr Porter, that 40 % of the residents come from Sydney, Central Coast and greater NSW; 20 % from the surrounding region (the Hunter) and 25 % from the local township (Tea Gardens/ Hawks Nest). This data parallels broadly those modelled by Dr Stubbs for the projected Woodstock development. The effect of such an in-migration on services was calculated by Dr Stubbs and shown to be significant, particulalry in terms of impacts on HACC services. In response to the projected increased demand for HACC services, Mr Porter argued that the residents of the proposed Woodstock village would make limited use of these services and that there would be minimal impact as a result as:
o Most services are available on-site;
o Housing is specifically designed to meet their needs and requires minimal maintenance or up keep; and
o Social isolation (the source of many of the support needs among people living dispersed in the community) is reduced or eliminated by virtue of the social and recreational options available.
199 However, evidence provided by Dr Stubbs revealed that the total costs associated with the purchase price, management and service fees would be high, relative to the forecast median weekly income of residents. Consequently, this would mean many of the residents may not be able to afford the development's private services and would default to reliance on the publicly funded equivalent. In addition to these costs, it is also necessary to consider the aforementioned expense of accessing essential medical services that cannot be provided on site through a GP. If these have to be accessed via taxis the costs may be as much as $120 return to Wollongong. Such costs could be prohibitively expensive, particularly for residents with limited financial resources. Collectively, these charges would be onerous for residents and in some cases unaffordable meaning that some may not be able to access or purchase essential services.