Developer, local politicians go toe to toe over vision for smart city
A WAR of words have erupted after Hills Shire mayor Michelle Byrne and Baulkham Hills State Liberal MP David Elliott hit out against developer Mulpha Norwest’s vision for a smart city in Norwest Business Park — dubbing the masterplan a “fantasyland”.
Hills Shire
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A WAR of words have erupted after Hills Shire mayor Michelle Byrne and Baulkham Hills State Liberal MP David Elliott hit out against developer Mulpha Norwest’s vision for a smart city in Norwest Business Park — dubbing the masterplan a “fantasyland”.
This week, The Hills Shire Times exclusively revealed Mulpha’s plans to transform Norwest Business Park into an new age “innovative, lifestyle and economic precinct”, however, Cr Byrne described the plan as “fantasyland rather than a plan for the Hills community” and assured the community Bella Vista Farm Park was “off limits”.
“Mulpha presented a version of these concepts to council earlier this year, and it was soundly rejected,” Cr Byrne said.
“Our key issues centred around inadequate planning for traffic and parking, congestion, obvious overdevelopment and limited green space.
“We told Mulpha then that Bella Vista Farm was strictly off-limits — it doesn’t belong to them now and it never will, the Farm belongs to the people.”
Cr Byrne described Mulpha’s video as a ‘scary’ marketing tool, “designed to put pressure on Council and the community to allow overdevelopment”.
“Mulpha’s vision has been knocked back twice already — once by council and once by the Gateway planning system,” Cr Byrne said.
“I can guarantee it will be resoundingly rejected a third time — by the people who actually live here.
“I want residents to understand that The Hills Shire Council does not support Mulpha’s plans for Bella Vista Farm or Norwest, even though they wrongly imply this in their statements. The farm is heritage listed, the farm is an important part of our green space corridor and leisure strategy and the farm is not for sale.”
Mr Elliott said: “the plans released by Mulpha, just 24 hours after the Greater Sydney Commission released their Draft Regional Plan, demonstrated a total disregard for the needs of the Hills Shire”.
“I am disturbed by the so-called plan to ‘rejuvenate’ Bella Vista Farm and the lack of appreciation for our local history given the Farm is 200 years old and is in no need of an upgrade by developers out of the country,” Mr Elliott said.
“The announcement by Mulpha to significantly upscale their Norwest interests are ill conceived and fail to provide for basic community needs.
“Suggestions Mulpha will provide for more than 20,000 residents in the park is significantly more than that the Greater Sydney Commission recently estimated the entire Hills Shire would be asked to accommodate.”
Mr Elliott said he would not support any gazetted amendments, large-scale development applications or rezoning until the infrastructure backlog in The Hills Shire is cleared.
“We are still working on completing upgrades to Showground Road, Memorial Avenue, Fairway Drive and Samantha Riley Drive along with the Sydney Metro North West and NorthConnex, and that’s before we break ground on the Rouse Hill Hospital,” Mr Elliott said.
“The Hills Shire has been left behind in relation to infrastructure for way too long and if developers want to bring in new residents, they can bring new infrastructure with them.”
Mulpha Norwest general manager Tim Spencer hit back at local representatives claims, stating the company had not attempted to mislead council or the community.
“It is our belief, that Bella Vista Farm Park, with its farm and natural heritage and historic place in the early development of Australian agriculture, must at all costs be protected and preserved,” he said.
“For those unaware, Mulpha Norwest has played an integral role in protecting the integrity of the Farm by transferring land to the Sydney Water of the day, free of charge, to locate the current water tanks on Westwood Way.
“It should also be remembered that Mulpha Norwest sold the balance of The Farm to council for a mere $1, with the sole intent of enshrining it into perpetuity by getting into public hands.”
Mr Spencer said the company presented concetual plans on how to presever the farm.
“The intention of the plan was well-received by council in April of this year and is simply a conversation starter to assist council in determining a sustainable strategy for their asset,” he said.
“On the wider vision, we agree with the Mayor that infrastructure challenges need to be resolved so as not to limit the potential of Norwest as a whole.
“Our vision clearly communicates what potential exists, and why it is so important that all levels of Government come to the table in a bipartisan way, as declared necessary by Sir David Higgins in his Bradfield address. Our vision is not a short sighted game, it is true leadership, focused on how to build a successful community of the future, and addressing all the challenges that come with that.”
Mr Spencer said the vision was in direct response to the Plan for Growing Sydney 2036.
“We will continue to work closely with State and Local Governments to help shape a future community that we can all be proud of, and we invite people to fully understand our vision which truly puts the community first,” he said.