Islamic school and aged care first to move in to newest Sydney suburb

AUSTRAL is moo-ving on up. Cow paddocks and market gardens will soon make way for high rises and development as a meticulously planned metropolis springs up in south west Sydney.

Cows no more. Sydney’s urban sprawl is cutting their grass.

Austral’s cowpastures and market gardens will soon be transformed into a meticulously planned metropolis.

The suburb was earmarked for urban development and rezoned three years ago but the immense precinct plan is only now starting to take shape.

Dozens of development applications have been lodged to Liverpool Council in the last six months as the precinct’s utilities come online.

Water, electricity and sewerage are close to being in place for up to 17,350 homes, an industrial zone and five new retail/commercial areas.

Funding is being sourced from both developer levies and the Department of Planning and Environment’s Housing Acceleration Fund.

Low density housing will be the norm, with medium density housing circumscribing commercial areas.

Huge lots are awaiting approval for subdivision, with 12 already in the process of being carved up into more than 560 new Torrens titles.

And before the Joint Regional Planning Panels are two extensive projects; a $73 million retirement village and a $10 million Islamic school.

Tobruk Village manager Emily Chong overseeing the new aged care development.

The Department of Planning and Environment said the precinct would be an integral part of the south west growth centre.

“The vision for the Austral is ... a range of housing types will develop to meet the needs of a diverse community, supported by local services, infrastructure, facilities and employment, in an environmentally sustainable manner,” the precinct plan reads.

Notwithstanding the immense Western Sydney Parklands flanking the district, a large number of parks and open space also punctuate the plan.

“We have planned for a range of open space uses such as a parks and sporting fields, ensuring we have the right amount and mix for a growing population,” a department spokesman said.

“Most parks are located no more than a 400 metre walk from homes.”

Flood prone areas will be given special focus in light of the recent flooding, the department confirmed.

“We are currently undertaking a regional review of flooding in the South West priority growth area,” the spokesman said.

“The review will consider all the current and future precinct flooding assumptions and take into consideration cumulative effects.”

Urban plan of the new Austral.

Findings of the flood planning review will be made available next year.

“At this stage, we don’t anticipate any changes to the current flood planning for Leppington or Austral.”

Roads and transport will also receive a huge cash injection, with upgrades planned for Bringelly, Dickson and Ingleburn roads.

The only significant alteration to the civic plan will be to accommodate the extension of the rail to Badgerys Creek airport proposed by the Federal and State governments.

The extension of the South West Rail Link is proposed to connect Leppington Station to Bringelly and then head in two directions: north near St Marys; and south to Narellan.

But one thing will not change in Austral; the quintessential street names and grid-like format.

“Back in the 60s and 70s it was common to have winding roads and cul-de-sacs, but that doesn’t help connect the community,” the department spokesman said.

“It doesn’t help people connect to the train station, the shops and the park.”

AMBITIOUS PLAN FOR $10 MILLION ISLAMIC SCHOOL

An 800-student Islamic school will be built in Austral.

The kinder to Year 12 proposal, if approved, will operate seven days a week.

The Arrahman College staged development on Seventeenth Ave will be fully operational by 2029 and includes three two-storey buildings plus a gym and assembly building.

Arrahman College design planned for 17th Ave in Austral will accommodate up to 800 students.

Al Mabarat Benevolent Society based at Arncliffe is behind the $10 million project.

Stage one includes the primary school buildings being built, and preparation for the site’s future development.

Stage two includes the secondary school buildings as well as road construction and landscaping. Stage three and four will tidy up the site and add the assembly building.

“The proposed staging of the school has been established to sustainably accommodate the anticipated growth and reduce any adverse impacts on the amenity of the area in terms of traffic generation, noise and scale,” the developer’s application states.

While Liverpool Council is responsible for the development application assessment, determination will be made by the Sydney West Joint Regional Planning Panel.

In the project’s architectural design statement, the proposed school will have two fulltime security guards as well as additional security guards during peak times.

The school will employ 36 staff and provide 40 placements for before and after school care.

At least seven sites in Austral are earmarked for state education, not withstanding independent schools including this proposal.

SENIORS LIVING IT UP IN AUSTRAL

Seniors will be able to live it up in Austral.

A $73 million independent living for seniors development is currently before the Sydney West Joint Regional Planning Panel.

If it’s pushed through, Tobruk Village will become home to an additional 200 plus residents.

Located on Tenth Ave, Austral, it is just one of the big projects before the planning panel, expected to turn Austral’s pastures into suburbia over the coming years.

Manager Emily Chong said the pet-friendly village already had 52 residents and were in the middle of building an aged care facility next door with 64 beds. There is potential for 16 to form a dementia unit.

Tobruk Village: The new retirement village planned in Austral.

The aged care facility currently under construction next door. Picture: Ian Svegovic

It’s due for completion at the end of 2016 and work is then expected to start on the monster 156 two bedroom unit project. They’ll be spread across six three-storey buildings.

“We’ve already got a cinema, pool, library, gym, craft room and games area,” she said.

“With the extra development we’re going to invest in providing outdoor activities like lawn bowls, community garden and mini golf.”

RSL Lifecare is the organisation behind the project. It was formed in 1911 to provide care and service to war veterans.

It has grown to be one of the largest residential retirement accommodation and aged care services in Australia.

It cares for 5000 people across countless retirement living, residential care and community care sites in NSW and the ACT.

Four adjoining houses on Edmondson Ave will be demolished in the coming weeks to make way for the expansion.