Pitt Town: Hindu temple plans for Pitt Town Rd angers locals
There’s been a backlash over plans for a $6.4m Hindu temple in Sydney’s west, with complaints ranging from the scale of the proposal to claims there aren't enough Hindus in the area to warrant its construction.
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Multimillion-dollar plans to build a massive Hindu temple in Sydney's northwest have outraged residents, who have hit out over the size and scale of the proposal for the rural site.
Those behind the Auburn-based Hindu temple, Sri Mandir, have submitted plans for a new $6.4 million two-storey temple at 95 Pitt Town Rd, Pitt Town.
The development application includes for a 100-space yoga and meditation centre, hall, multipurpose rooms and a kitchen across a two hectare site.
Sri Mandir is recognised as the first Hindu temple in Australia, established in Auburn in 1977 to meet religious, social and cultural needs of the rapidly growing Hindu community.
However, Hawkesbury councillor, Nathan Zamprogno, raised concerns around the exhibition of the plans – which ran through Christmas and ends on January 21.
“I am submitting a request for an extension of the consultation period for the proposal,” Cr Zamprogno said.
The Hawkesbury councillor said outraged residents raised concerns with him in the first week of January which “was an unprecedented time of distress and distraction in the community”.
“Not all of the relevant documentation was on the DA tracker website and the planning panels take their time to determine proposals so these plans may not see a panel for a number of weeks,” he said.
“Councillors have no approval authority on these proposals.
“This proposal needs an opportunity for broader assessment from the community.”
Cr Zamprogno said he found it curious that plans for a temple had been submitted for Pitt Town.
“There is a very small amount of people that identified their religion as Hindu in the 2016 census and there is already plans for a Hindu Temple to be built five minutes away,” he said.
Residents objecting to the proposal raised concerns around increase noise and traffic that would be created from the development, as well as a loss of amenity from the size and scale of the proposed building.
Pitt Town resident, Graeme Dobson, was one of dozens of formal objectors.
He said the proposal was not in keeping with the type of buildings in Pitt Town and the lack of parking provided on the site would result in “dangerous” on-street parking.
Another resident, Melanie Meeks, said ratepayers would be forced to fund the upkeep of surrounding roads, despite the fact that “there are little to no people in this local demographic that even subscribe to this faith”.
But the applicant argued the place of worship will “cater for the rapidly growing Hindu community moving into the North West region of Sydney”.
“The facility will cater for the region’s multicultural nature, providing much needed community infrastructure,” the applicant said .
“Several potential environmental impacts and hazards including heritage, flooding, bushfire, have been assessed, with site found to be appropriate and suitable for the proposed use.”
The applicant argued that there was “no adverse traffic impacts” and Old Pitt Town Road would not be impacted by the development.
A total of 225 people would attend the place of worship on a daily basis and up to 300 during special events. The place of worship would operate from 9am to 7pm daily.