The Development Assessment Panel of the Kangaroo Island Council has reached a compromise with the developers of Lot 1 Brownlow Road, Kings-cote, but the project is still not sure to go ahead.

After voting in July to refuse permission for four four-bedroom units in two buildings on the coastal block, the DAP considered the matter in confidence on September 1 and has granted approval to the development on the basis of alterations made to the design.

The developer has reduced one unit to three bedrooms, made variations to setbacks from the road, roof shape, landscaping and vehicle parking arrangements. Additional balconies on the Brownlow Road side were added and a reduction in height of 0.3m.

Adjoining landholder Yoland Higgs, of North Adelaide, who has opposed the development since it was first presented to the council in 2006, attended a compulsory hearing of the Environment Resources Development Court in Adelaide this week.

She has applied to join with the council in its defence against an appeal by the developer. If she is granted permission to join and continues to maintain her objection then the court cannot ratify the compromised plans.

Urban Strategy Projects has indicated if that is the case it will withdraw its current application and make a fresh application to the Kangaroo Island Council.

Ms Higgs has maintained her protest about the development on the basis of the density of the project, loss of amenity to nearby residents and she disputes that the building would be used for residential accommodation, as the developer asserts, and not tourist accommodation.

She said the developer had spoken to Sealink about the development but Mr Pitt told the ERD court on Friday he had only spoken to them in a general manner about the need for more accommodation on the island, both for tourists and residents.

“This whole thing has just not been clear and transparent from the start,” Ms Higgs said.

The developer, Mr Roger Pitt of Strategy Urban Projects, said he had no comment until the ERD Court handed down its decision in a couple of weeks.