Quote:
Originally Posted by Allan_L
anyway, I now have maps DP and permission to go and have a look.
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Hi Allan,
Private Road 8 comes off the turn-off at "The Letter A".
We have been observing from the Bucketty area for the past 14 years and
can testify as to the quality of the skies there given their proximity to
Sydney and the Central Coast. You still get sky glow from Sydney in the
south and a hint of glow in the north from the open cut coal mines, but
it is dramatically better place from which to observe with regards light
pollution compared to, say, even the Pony Club at Mangrove Mountain.
From an observing point of view, it is also advantageous to be up on one of
the ridge tops, as this property is, compared to lower ground in the same
area. The reason for that is fog. For example, during one period a few years
back, Mai and I observed from a property at Bucketty almost every clear night
of the week for a few months at a time, and often from dusk to dawn. Our observing
site was also on a ridge top, but the fog would commonly fill the valleys below
and sometimes reach our altitude, sometimes as early as midnight and at
other times not until 5am, in which case we would have to pack it in.
One of the main northerly flight paths to Mascot passes over the Yengo
and if you have even been on one of the early morning incoming
flights into Sydney around the time they lift the curfew, when you look down
it is not uncommon to see all that maze of little valleys to be filled with fog.
Having said that, the area tends to be light on rainfall and the nearby Mangrove
Mountain Dam seems to act as some sort of rain repellent.
Friends have been building a house at Bucketty on a large property we helped them
find some time back. These days the RFS has final say in the DA approval process
and a requirement house builders have to meet in the area is a 40m clearance between
the exterior wall of any structure and the nearest vegetation. This requirement
pre-dates the Victorian fires.
If nothing is to ever be built on the property, then the 40m requirement is unlikely
to be an issue. However, if plans were to include the building of some structure
at some point in the future, one may anticipate they will be enforced.
As an example of how high the bar can get raised, if a ridge top has a level
area that then drops away suddenly, if the 40m clearance cannot be met on the level
area, they will require clearing down the slope, which can possibly entail
earth moving and additional expense. With this in mind, when considering the
net worth of a property in that area, if one has plans on building anything on it
or plans on reselling it at some point in the future, the tough DA requirements
on cleared area should be taken into account in assessing the properties true
market value.
At first 40m does not sound like much, but when you see the size of an area
that is devoid of all vegetation for 40m in all four directions, one quickly appreciates
it is a sizable parcel of land. Of course, such clearances are ideal for observing
but they can be a catch for the prospective buyer looking at building on his new
parcel of land.
Michael Kidd tends to handle the bulk of real estate business in the
Bucketty area. It has never been the fastest moving areas as far as
real estate sales and we have seen some properties on the market there for
eight years. Having said that, prices have risen dramatically in the past
five years and we have no shortage of the usual "make a grown man cry"
stories about how comparatively low prices were only a few years ago
compared to today.
Good luck with your inquires and I am sure forum members look forward to your
follow-up impressions.
