Proposal for large employment precinct near Menangle

Developers are warning the Macarthur region will have a dearth of jobs if thousands of new homes are built at Appin and Menangle, without supporting business and industrial parks.

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Developers are warning the Macarthur region will have a dearth of jobs if thousands of new homes are built at Appin and Menangle, without supporting business and industrial parks.

Mirvac Homes and Souwest Developments have asked the NSW Government to include land to the south and southeast of the rural village as part of its final Greater Macarthur 2040 plan.

The developers want to use the land to establish an industrial park-style precinct.

The plan, which sets out the growth areas for the Macarthur region over the next 20 years, states 20,000 jobs will be needed in land release areas in the south of the growth area near Appin and Menangle.

The land (in red) proposed for a large employment precinct.

About 41,000 jobs will be needed across the Greater Macarthur region.

In a submission to the Planning Department, the developers said their land, which is partly earmarked for future employment, should be included in the growth area.

“Simply put, Wollondilly is receiving much new housing but little in the way of significant employment generating hubs,” the submission states

Souwest Development director Ernest Dupere said the Menangle land would help address a lack of local jobs.

“There is a shortage of employment land in Wollondilly, the council themselves say that more than 70 per cent of people who are employed have to travel outside the area for work,” Mr Dupere said.

“That surely endorses what the Greater Macarthur Plan is suggesting which is that some portions of our land are ideally suited for employment land.

“With Government support for our southern portion of land to be rezoned for employment, we’re very confident the demand is there and will only increase with the number of development in our shire.”

Souwest Developments director Ernest Dupere at the old Menangle Rotolactor. Picture: Angelo Velardo

Mr Dupere said the developers’ site was just north of the future M9 Orbital and Hume Highway interchange, connecting it to the Western Sydney Airport and other parts of Sydney.

“Our entire site is bisected by the main southern rail line … we own the land around the existing station at Menangle and we’re also proposing a second station,” he said.

“The RMS says all the way to Campbelltown (from Wollondilly) is under capacity so it’s sensible to have employment land nestled south of Campbelltown and in the growing Wollondilly.”