Appin: Concerns over lack of infrastructure after Walker Corporation’ Appin project given green light
A mayor has urged the NSW Government to not repeat mistakes of the past after one of the state’s largest housing proposals was finally been given approval to proceed.
Macarthur
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A government department has confirmed the development of 12,900 homes will not progress until infrastructure plans have been finalised.
The comment follows Wollondilly mayor Matt Gould’s call for a binding infrastructure commitment after the rezoning of land in Appin to allow construction of nearly 13,000 homes.
Planning Minister Paul Scully signed off on the proposal for the 1284ha site owned by developing giant Walker Corporation to now include zoning – the guidelines allowing what can be built on an area – for 12,900 homes.
The scheme was placed on a government fast track in November.
However, the road to the thousands of new homes has been labelled a “death trap”, accessible public transport is limited, and the region does not have a 24-hour police station.
Mr Scully said the homes would get transport, education and health services “in a timely manner” covered under a contribution system with developers.
Wollondilly mayor Matt Gould urged the state government commit to a binding plan that links the delivery of homes to the delivery of the infrastructure.
He said it was critical to ensure mistake at Wilton were not repeated at Appin.
“This rezoning in Appin means the department is dumping almost 13,000 homes in an area already starved of critical infrastructure such as water and sewer, and right now there is no meaningful plan for public transport, health services, schools or employment,” he said.
“Right now, Appin Rd remains a death trap, the linkage between Appin and the Wilton growth area is a single lane bridge built in the 1800s, there is no public transport, and the area is highly bushfire prone with a long history of significant fire impacts that need to be properly addressed.
“In our existing growth area in Wilton we have hundreds of houses that are going in that will need to have their effluent trucked out for several years because something as basic as a fit for purpose sewage system isn’t in place after a decade of planning, and various state agencies are still at least two to three years behind where they need to be.”
A Department of Planning and Environment spokesman said development would not progress until infrastructure plans have been finalised. However he did not specify what this infrastructure would include or if it would be a binding agreement.
A Walker Corp spokesman said it was important the community understood all the facts.
“All infrastructure inside our Appin masterplanned community will be lodged and approved with the development applications,” he said.
“Infrastructure will delivered concurrently as development occurs – including water, sewerage, transport, roads, schools, health centres, retail villages, parks and ovals.”
Former Appin resident Sue Gay, who now lives in Tahmoor, said she was “beyond angry at the announcement”.
She has been campaigning against developments such as this since 2001 and said the battle was lost and “developers always win”.
“My big concerns are bushfire safety issues, water infrastructure and the environment,” Ms Gay said. “There is also no planned infrastructure to support these new homes. It’s really bad. The other issue is, it will only be accessible by car.”
Ms Gay said she backed the calls of Mr Gould for the government to ensure the infrastructure would be built.
Campbelltown MP Greg Warren said housing supply was a major issue in NSW, but said he would advocate to ensure the residents of the future homes had the services they needed.
Walker Corp will now finish a masterplan for the site before submitting additional plans to build thousands of homes.
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