PLANS for the first stage of the proposed Kings Forest township of 4500 "affordable" homes south of Kingscliff have been put on display for public comment.

The plans are exhibited on the NSW Government's Department of Planning website, which invites written public submissions and also provides a form for members of the public to make a submission electronically regarding this project.

Leda Developments, which is headed by property billionaire Bob Ell, has also taken out advertisements in the Daily News advising readers how they can have their say on the development and highlighting a section of the plans which would provide for the adjacent Cudgen nature reserve to be increased in size by 40%.

During a recent tour of the site with Leda regional manger Reg van Rij the Daily News was told the company expected land at its other planned Tweed township at Cobaki west of the Gold Coast Airport to go on the market in 2013 but had no firm timeline for marketing the Kings Forest project which is still to get government development approval.

The project was however given Concept Plan approval in August 2010.

The development application which has been lodged by subsidiary company Project 28 Pty Ltd and signed by Bob Ell and Reg van Rij spells out the details of the first stage.

It seeks approval for subdivision, bulk earthworks across the site and construction of the entrance road from the Tweed Coast Road along with the proposed Kings Forest Parkway and other roads.

It also seeks approval for 2126m2 of retail floor space.

It deals with the contentious issue of koalas saying a revised Koala Plan of Management "identifies the difficulty in managing exposures to road traffic, domestic dogs and to a lesser extent swimming pools, and proposes effective separation of koalas and their habitat from these threats, while maintaining and enhancing existing habitat linkages".

The site which has been zoned for urban development since 1989, was bought by Leda in 2003.

"Over the next 20 years the project will create 12,000 jobs."