Mirvac approval for IBM site: Local MP and Mayor express disappointment
Baulkham Hills MP David Elliott and Hills Mayor Michelle Byrne reiterate their opposition to a proposal by Mirvac for the old IBM site in West Pennant Hills. Yesterday the state government approved the development after fast-tracking its assessment.
Hills Shire
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Baulkham Hills MP David Elliott says he is “disappointed” by a decision by his own government to approve a highly controversial planning proposal by Mirvac to transform the old IBM site in West Pennant Hills into hundreds of residential homes.
Mirvac had applied to the State Government to rezone the site on 55 Coonara Ave from its existing use as a business centre to residential area.
The plan will see 200 apartments and 400 houses on the site which backs onto the Cumberland State Forest.
Mr Elliott said he had a “long-term opposition to high-density developments in The Hills district”.
But he vowed to work with Mirvac to ensure the development is the “quality Hills residents deserve”.
“While the approval will secure around 50 per cent as new forestry, which will ensure native habitats are conserved, I will now be redoubling my efforts, alongside the Hills Shire Mayor and the Minister for Environment, to have the entire area declared a national park,” he said.
Hills Mayor Michelle Byrne also released a statement today describing it as “disheartening that when Council has made a decision on a local planning outcome, that this decision can be overturned”.
“Councillors have been sidelined on making decisions about Development Applications (DA), and instead we are told to focus on more strategic matters like rezoning proposals,” she said.
“ This is a local planning decision, which we made publicly, and as the local planning authority, it should have been upheld.”
Mayor Byrne said while there have been some changes to the the proposal, including reduced areas of land to be zoned residential, higher levels of environmental conservation over a larger part of the site and a nine hectare expansion of the Cumberland State Forest, it didn’t go far enough.
“We all take for granted footpaths, cycleways, playing fields, recreational centres, libraries, community centres and the like,” she said.
“ These are things that are fundamental to our quality-of-life and it is expected that all new housing developments cater for these needs proportionately.”
In the decision released on Thursday “development consent” was granted to the Mirvac proposal with the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment finding it had “site-specific and strategic merit”.
That merit is listed as “$151 million of local investment, 300 local jobs, 600 high quality well designed homes close to transport, a 9ha expansion of the Cumberland State Forest and recreation and community facilities for residents”.
Deputy Secretary for Greater Sydney, Place and Infrastructure at the Department of Industry, Environment and Planning Brett Whitworth, said there had been changes to the proposal including “enlarging the environmental conservation zones to protect the critically endangered ecological communities Blue Gum High Forest and Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest and Powerful Owl”.
Mr Whitworth said the final plan:
- Reduces the extent of land rezoned to residential
- Increases the extent of land to be zoned E2 Environmental Conservation to 15.2 hectares
- Amends minimum of lot sizes to reflect bushland areas to be dedicated to Forestry NSW
- Incorporates additional use over parts of the E2 zone to allow recreation where it is consistent with the zone objectives and
- Introduces an 11m setback from Coonara Ave.
Despite the amendments to the plans the changes have not quashed community anger about the proposal.
Bill Leigh from the Cumberland State Forest and Environs Civic Trust was scathing.
“In the light of the immense opposition to the development, we expected the Mirvac disaster be rejected, permanently,” he said.
“The news of the planning “wave-through” is a disaster for good government and demonstrates the complete lack of focus on environmental protection in NSW.”
Protecting Your Suburban Environment spokeswoman Jan Primrose said the damage this development will cause the Blue Gum High Forest and the Cumberland State Forest will be “irreversible”.
“Demolishing an employment precinct capable of carrying over 2000 people for the sake of 300 short term jobs with no ongoing employment does not make economic or social sense,” she said.
Mirvac’s Development Director, Adrian Checchin welcomed the decision saying it would “deliver significant public benefit and safeguard this important ecological community for future generations”.
“We understand that protecting the forest is a priority for local residents and the wider Sydney community. Following this decision from the NSW Government, we can now commence the process to dedicate more than 9 hectares of the forest back to the people of NSW,” he said.
“The forest dedication, along with other open space represents almost 65% of the site, most of which will be publicly accessible under our proposed masterplan. The masterplan will deliver a family friendly residential community sensitive to its bushland setting, designed to improve housing diversity in the area.”