Campbelltown set to shift from open land to high-rise towers
South-west Sydney Dentist Ash Abdollahi has revealed he never thought he’d see high-rises in his local area after it was revealed this one suburb is set to be revamped from open spaces to a sea of towers. SUBURB REVEALED.
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It is the epicentre of Sydney’s greenfield development where you can still buy your slice of the great Australian dream.
Yet developers and council still believe Campbelltown CBD will have to build more office and apartment towers to meet the demands of our growing population.
Disagreement remains over how the south western Sydney suburb will look and the heights that developers will go to.
The Urban Taskforce has created a booming 2040 vision for Queen St, Campbelltown which shows towers reaching more than 65m tall.
The plans are based on federal and state governments following through on plans for a new north-south railway line — something Campbelltown Council is also pushing for.
This line would connect Campbelltown to the new Western Sydney Airport and the north west Sydney suburbs.
“The rail lines will support the growth through a combination of commercial buildings for jobs and apartment buildings,” Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson said.
“Arts facilities can be expanded along with a university campus to activate the town centre.
“Our vision for Campbelltown has made it a real city with a futuristic character.”
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There is no doubt Campbelltown has capacity for more homes.
The council area has 22 per cent medium and high density housing compared to 44 per cent in Greater Sydney.
The area’s 55,986 dwellings are set to expand to 96,394 by 2036, according to the council’s 2040 vision statement.
Western City and Aerotropolis Authority CEO Sam Sangster said a key goal of his organisation is to “see a-grade buildings being built” in Campbelltown, Liverpool and Penrith.
“Our primary key performance indicator is about generating 200,000 knowledge jobs and to make that work we need to make sure that those three CBDs are playing a significant role,” Mr Sangster told The Daily Telegraph.
Unlike other councils, the bulk of Campbelltown’s population growth is forecast to happen outside the CBD.
Regardless, the council is forecasting a massive 3600 new dwellings to be built in the suburb of Campbelltown by 2040.
Campbelltown Mayor George Brticevic said “we absolutely want direct railway connection to the Western Sydney Airport” and the opportunities that a direct connection will bring.
“In fact, such an important connection through an area experiencing the highest population growth in Australia would play a significant role in the early success of the Western Sydney Airport and provide significant impetus to the achievement of the vision,” he said.
In relation to the Urban Taskforce’s plan, he was more measured, saying: “We wouldn’t expect to have some of the single storey commercial buildings that are here today sitting beside the remarkable towers that could be part of our CBDs in 20 years’ time, as presented in the image.”
Campbelltown MP Greg Warren said “there’s no doubt some of those buildings are a bit out there in terms of design”.
“Regardless of your views on high rise apartment, I am sure everyone agrees that the safety of the buildings and the residents who reside in them must be a priority,” Mr Warren said.
Mr Warren also said the government needs to ensure population pressures are met with increased resourcing of local schools, roads and hospitals.
BUSINESS OWNER REACTS TO THE CHANGES
Dentist Ash Abdollahi never thought he’d see high rise in Campbelltown.
The 34-year-old father of three grew up in the Macarthur region and has returned a number of times after time away for university and living overseas.
Each time, he was shocked by the new roads, schools and buildings.
He says while he is happy to see more apartments and high rise go in, it needs to be balanced with services.
“Having lived in Europe the high density living does not bother me, but what does is the lack of services and infrastructure,” Mr Abdollahi, who has settled in the area with wife Kalee, said.
“There has to be planning. The strain on the public hospital system is evident. There is a lot more traffic than what thereused to be.
“We can’t just let developers build anything without bringing improvements to local parks.”
Mr Abdollahi’s Dental Assembly business and home is right near Queen St, which is Campbelltown’s main drag.
He said the high density living has brought more middle income families into the centre of Campbelltown.
He has also noticed improvements in local parks.
“Campbelltown is a great place for families and will continue to be as long as they keep an eye on services, school and infrastructure,” he said.
“If they don’t to that then there will be a lot of unhappy people.”
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