The State Government won’t let councils refuse to assess South Dural planning proposals

It looks like it may be all systems for land releases at South Dural.

Representatives of action groups against development at South Dural.

“Cracks in the dam wall” to stop land around South Dural being developed have appeared and the NSW Department of Planning has rejected Hornsby Council’s request to stop assessing all planning proposals in the area.

Hornsby Council has backtracked on an earlier promise and now refused to help The Hills Council pay for an “Urban Capacity and Capability Assessment” of Dural, but will seek guidance about the “scope, methodology, investigation area and funding of the work” needed in the rural area.

The Hills Shire Council had asked Hornsby for $150,000 to assess the “environmental capacity” of the land “to sustain urban growth, potential yields and assessment of infrastructure capacity and funding”.

The Hills Shire Council refused a developer proposal to release land at 582 Old Northern Rd, recently but the Sydney West Central Planning Panel, despite concerns about the capacity of local infrastructure, recommended it be released.

Hornsby Greens candidate Emma Heyde said rural land in Dural is an

South Dural development artist’s impression.

asset for the future and there is “unprecedented community opposition to development on rural land in northern Sydney”.

“Why is Hornsby trying to facilitate development on this land?” Ms Heyde said.

“This is not a proposal in the public interest, pursuing development at South Dural is all about looking after the interests of developers, this is a developer-driven proposal.”

Hornsby deputy mayor Michael Hutchence said the report being done by the Hills Shire Council will lead to “proper planning being done not by developers but by an elected body” and will “flesh out” some of the “assertions being made in the community”.

“Unfortunately this council or the Hills (council) for that matter, saying no isn’t going to make the problem go away,” Cr Hutchence said.

Hornsby Mayor Steve Russell said he asked to the State Government “months ago” about their plan for the area.

Anti South Dural development signage in Galston.

“I want an answer, the Hills Council have had a number of planning proposals and one was given gateway (approval) recently,” Cr Russell said. “Once one happens there’ll be others and that’s not proper planning.

“We have seen cracks in the dam wall out there (around Dural),” Hornsby Mayor Steve Russell said. “It would be wise for us to be on the front foot. (We are) trying to ensure whatever happens out there is not developer-led.

“Either there will be development out there, and we plan for it properly or there is no development out there and the planning panel understands that and developers understand there’s northing out there for the next decade or more.”