NSW Government reveal plans for 5626 apartments at Kellyville, Bella Vista Metro station sites
Local politicians are standing defiant against their own government’s proposal to bring 5600 apartments to Metro station sites.
Hills Shire
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Ambitious plans to see 5626 apartments built alongside the Kellyville and Bella Vista Metro Station sites have been submitted by State Government developer Landcom — and now it’s your chance to have a say.
The multi-million dollar proposals, which could see 29 residential buildings constructed at Kellyville and a further 57 residential buildings and 20 retail and commercial buildings for the Bella Vista Metro station site, will see Landcom partner with a private developer to construct the state significant development.
The Bella Vista site — spanning from Memorial Ave to Celebration Dr — is expected to provide between 2905 and 3822 new homes.
While the Kellyville site — stretching along Old Windsor Rd and Samantha Riley Dr — is earmarked to generate between 1412 and 1804 apartments.
Planning Department executive director Anthea Sargeant called for the wider community to have their say on the projects.
“The proposal includes apartments and terrace housing, and future buildings will range from seven metres up to 68 metres high,” she said.
“The proposal also includes retail and commercial floor space, a new primary school, new parks and public domain works and new community facilities.”
Planning documents submitted this month said the plans aim to create a “beautiful view”.
“Bella Vista Station Precinct will be a vibrant and bustling destination that fosters strong connections to its open spaces and natural creek line, connecting with existing district views while offering transit oriented amenity within a human scale urban setting,” planners said.
“(While in Kellyville) the vision is centred on establishing a new urban space that is vibrant and liveable, green and connected by a network of open spaces, and convenient in terms of access to public transport and amenities.”
Baulkham Hills state Liberal MP David Elliott attacked the proposal, telling the Times his stance against development has not changed.
“I have stated in the past and will continue to campaign against development in my electorate until the Metro is finished and servicing the CBD, Memorial Ave is upgraded, Matthew Pearce Public School is renovated, the new registered club is built at Kellyville and Rouse Hill Hospital is operating,” he said.
“When all these projects are completed, then I will consider sustainable development opportunities in a case-by-case basis.
“Hills residents should not be forced to endure ‘catch up’ infrastructure again.”
Hills Shire Mayor, Michelle Byrne, said planning for Metro precincts needed to be done right.
“They need to be active, vibrant areas that accommodate residents and jobs and create a quality of life for future residents,” she said.
“Although Landcom’s vision will not be complete till 2045, serious thought still needs to be given to how we will support these precincts with local and regional infrastructure today and in the future.”
Cr Byrne said although some density will be inevitable around Metro stations to accommodate population growth, it needed to be able to be supported with local and regional infrastructure.
“It is not acceptable to push in as much density as possible in the station precincts without considering the impacts on current infrastructure and the need to provide upgraded and new infrastructure,” she said.
The submission of the proposals for public exhibition comes just days after similar plans by Jean Nassif’s Toplace were rejected by The Hills Council in Cherrybrook.
A Toplace spokeswoman said the planning department “has made it clear” its demand for higher density housing close to the Metro stations.
“Both the Landcom development and the Toplace proposal at Cherrybrook are ideally located close to public transport hubs such as metro stations,” she said.
“We are surprised council appears to be supporting the Landcom proposal, particularly given it recently refused the Toplace proposal at Cherrybrook which contained a much lower density.
“This lack of consistency where proposals with similar merits get different outcomes undermines private sector investment in the area at a time when more housing is needed to meet future population growth.”
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