Queen St, Campbelltown: Controversial plans for high-rise towers containing 395 apartments

Five high-rise towers are a step closer to becoming a reality after the state government gave a major southwest Sydney residential and commercial hub its first tick of approval despite major flood concerns.

An artist’s impression of the proposed development. Picture: Architectus

Five high-rise towers are a step closer to becoming a reality after the state government gave a major southwest Sydney residential and commercial hub its first tick of approval despite major flood concerns.

H & R Properties’ plan is set to transform 34 Queen St, Campbelltown, with towers up to 15 storeys tall to contain 395 apartments and commercial space, creating an estimated 80 permanent jobs.

Campbelltown Council planners, the NSW Planning Department and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water raised concerns about the flood-prone site, with an estimated 25 to 50cm of floodwater projected to run through the middle of the future complex during heavy storms.

“As the flooding across the site is considered flash flooding, it is fast moving and does not provide enough warning time for evacuation,” S & G Consultants director Sam Haddad noted in the site’s flood report.

Mr Haddad stated Queen St would be inundated by floodwaters during floods so large they have a 1 per cent chance of occurring in any given year, preventing off-site evacuation and emergency vehicle access.

An artist’s impression of the future five high-rise apartment tower complex at 34 Queen St. Picture: Architectus

The street was also identified in the council’s 2019 floodplain risk management study as a frequently flooded road which often isolated shops and homes without road access.

To address flooding concerns, the project includes provisions for sheltering residents in the upper levels of the buildings and suggests water levels are low enough for emergency responders to drive through floodwaters — a solution at odds with State Emergency Service safety guidelines.

A three-dimensional map of the proposed development. Picture: Architectus

The site currently houses Officeworks Campbelltown, a medical centre and a motorcycle shop.

It’s also next door to ALAND’s future $1.1b six-tower development, which includes a 24-storey high-rise building and 899 apartments.

Despite these challenges, the state government has issued the planning proposal gateway determination and urged Campbelltown Council to fast-track planning, including increasing height restrictions, to allow the project to progress.

ALAND’s future $1.1b development will be located next door, containing 899 apartments along with commercial spaces. Picture: Sketch Design Group

The billion-dollar ALAND development, featuring six towers, includes a 24-storey high-rise building. Picture: Sketch Design Group

“The minister (for planning) may appoint an alternate planning proposal authority if council does not meet the timeframes outlined in the gateway determination,” ministerial delegate Chantelle Chow stated in a letter to the council.

A spokesman for the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure said the flood study for the proposed development “does not have a major adverse impact on flooding elsewhere and any issues can be addressed at the DA stage.”

The spokesman also said that they are committed to reducing the time taken to complete amendments to any local environmental plans for all planning proposals.

The NSW Government has the power to give final approval to the major project which aligns with its Glenfield to Macarthur Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy, aimed at delivering 30,000 new homes across the seven stations.