Camden Council to reject Tidapa housing development

Critics claim a planning “rejection” culture is fuelling the city’s housing affordability crisis.

Up to 800 “desperately needed” homes proposed to be developed on a southwest Sydney cattle farm could be blocked by local bureaucrats, highlighting a “sadly too common” barrier to building new housing in the city.

Officers at Camden Council have asked councillors to reject plans at a meeting on Tuesday for hundreds of new homes at Tidapa, near Cobbitty in the city’s southwest, over what they see as a lack of nearby infrastructure, the impact on a neighbouring heritage-listed vineyard and the environmental impact on the former cattle grazing run.

Landowner Phil O’Grady and his son Edward on their land in Cobbitty where they’ve proposed to built 800 new homes. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Urban Taskforce CEO Tom Forrest said the move highlighted planning attitudes which focused on reasons to reject new homes.

“This story is sadly too common and reflects an attitude from NSW planners which is to find any reason to reject housing proposals, rather than facilitate much needed housing supply,” he said.

“The culture has to change otherwise prices will continue to rise as supply falls short.”

Edward O’Grady, whose parents bought the 147-hectares of farmland in 1972 to run cattle, said he couldn’t understand the council’s position at a time when southwest Sydney was crying out for new homes.

Mr O’Grady, whose family are behind the draft planning proposal, said there was huge demand for the “desperately needed” homes his family proposed.

The site of the Tidapa proposal, which is set to have plans for 800 new homes thrown out by Camden Council. New homes at Oran Park can be seen in the distance. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“Honestly I just can’t understand it – we’ve really tried hard to make it a visionary project – beautiful large lots, over 100 hectares of developable land directly adjoining the Oran Park precinct,” he said.

“It’s got all the infrastructure everyone is crying out for, especially during the pandemic, there’s walking trails, a large sporting area and green space.”

If rejected, the proposal can be taken up with the Sydney Western City Planning Panel – with Mr O’Grady saying he was “heartened” by Planning Minister Rob Stokes’ recent actions to speed up planning decisions, including the fast-tracked rezoning of land for 18,000 new homes at nearby Glenfield, Lowes Creek Maryland and Leppington.

The council also noted the site had “poor connectivity” to roads, development could lead “to a reduction in vegetation quality” and an “unacceptable impact” on the views from the heritage-listed, privately-owned Denbigh vineyard next door.

The Camden area is forecast to be one of Sydney’s fastest growing regions, with the population predicted to explode by 227,500 new residents between 2016 and 2041.

Eddie Safar, who lives near the Tidapa site, said it was an attractive proposal for locals and that he was keen on making the move there if it went ahead.

“I think the area is a bit stale now – it needs a bit of a freshen up, it needs more facilities,” he said.

“What they have planned … it sounds like a great place to live.”