Developer’s $170m offer to upgrade Appin Road with koala passes yet to be approved

A $170 million private offer to upgrade a treacherous stretch of road – which would lead to thousands of new homes and save dozens of koalas hit by cars – has sat in the NSW Government’s inbox for five years, with no movement.

A $170 million private offer to upgrade a treacherous stretch of road – which would lead to thousands of new homes as well as potentially saving dozens of koalas hit by cars – has sat in the NSW Government’s inbox for five years, with a green tick yet to be given.

Lendlease has offered to fully fund and reconstruct a 5.4km stretch of Appin Road, southwest of Sydney, as part of their plans to build thousands of new homes in the area.

But their proposal to Transport NSW has languished in the planning stages for at least five years, with the government department stating the environmental impacts of the project had to be fully assessed – while the marsupials continue to die at the site.

In those five years, at least 28 koalas have been killed by car strikes on the stretch of road, devastating the small but crucial population southwest of Sydney.

The road is also key to Lendlease’s plans to build 3,300 new homes at their Gilead development, which is awaiting rezoning approval from the NSW Government.

An illustration of how the new koala underpasses on Appin Road could look.

Brendan O’Brien, head of NSW residential communities at Lendlease, said they were still waiting to kick off the road development after putting their irrevocable offer to the NSW Government in 2018.

“Ever since then the bureaucracy and Transport NSW, and (the Department of) Planning to some extent, have failed to deliver,” he said.

“It’s inexplicable – this is necessary and critical, not just for homes but for the local koala population.

“It’s hard to understand – this is a classic win-win yet government don’t seem to want to be grabbing the opportunity with both hands.”

Their proposal to upgrade Appin Road, which would take place between Rosemeadow and Gilead near Campbelltown, includes widening from two to four lanes, as well as new safety barriers and upgraded intersections and entrances to Lendlease’s Figtree Hill development, which is currently under construction.

Image of how Figtree Hill, which is currently under construction and will include 1700 new homes, is expected to look upon completion. The upgraded road would include a new entrance to the neighbourhood off Appin Road.

The work would also include fauna fencing along the road and two koala underpasses meaning the marsupials could still move throughout the area while reducing the risk of them being hit by cars.

A Transport NSW spokesman said the environmental assessment for the road upgrade had been bogged down by two rounds public consultation over community concerns for the sensitive koala population in the area.

“Under legislation Transport for NSW must take into account to the fullest extent possible all environmental impacts from the works before authorising the project … Transport is committed to achieving positive outcomes for both the environment and community,” he said.

Image of how Figtree Hill, which is currently under construction and will include 1700 new homes, is expected to look upon completion.

Mr O’Brien said the lengthy road to final approval had been bogged down by paperwork and an endless stream of reports.

“In trying to dot the I’s and cross the T’s, five years have been lost … We just want to build a road,” he said.

Lendlease is already deep into work on approved new neighbourhood Figtree Hill, adjacent to Gilead, which will eventually include 1700 new homes when complete.

The first stage of 450 lots for Figtree Hill, a 10-minute drive from Campbelltown, has already sold out, prompting the developers to release the next 480 lots to meet pent-up demand from homebuyers looking to buy in the southwest growth corridor.