$2.2b development: Ryde Mayor Jerome Laxale calls for rethink

Ryde Mayor Jerome Laxale has called for the State Government to rethink its plans for a $2.2 billion development in Macquarie Park amid fears it would cause an “ecological disaster”.

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Ryde Mayor Jerome Laxale is calling on the State Government to rethink its plans for the $2.2 billion Ivanhoe Estate development in Macquarie Park amid fears it would cause an “ecological disaster”.

In a mayoral minute at tomorrow night’s council meeting, the Labor mayor will launch a bid to force the government to revise the scale, size and impacts of the 8.2ha development on trees and local wildlife.

It’s expected more than 800 trees will be cut down to make way for the revitalisation of Ivanhoe Estate, on Epping Road between Herring Road and Shrimptons Creek.

This is the first major project under the government’s Future Directions policy and $22 billion Communities Plus program.

The Ivanhoe Estate redevelopment plan.

“The revision should include enhanced tree retention, reduced building footprints and more open space,” said Cr Laxale, who will challenge Ryde Liberal MP Victor Dominello at the NSW election next month.

“The Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) has provided extensive comments to the exhibition of the concept redevelopment application for the Ivanhoe Estate and they have supported the council’s view on the importance of retaining the existing threatened ecological Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest community on and adjoining the estate, including along Epping Road.

“In this regard, not enough has been done in the planning and siting of the proposed development to avoid directly impacting on the threatened ecological communities, where more than half of the existing threatened community is earmarked for removal.

Photo taken at the site of the Ivanhoe Estate last year.

“The OEH comments echo council’s policy documents. In 2016, council provided an urban design guideline to Land and Housing Corporation to supplement Ryde DCP 2014.

“This included an objective to ‘Protect the existing natural characteristics of the site by promoting the revitalisation of Shrimptons Creek and the protection of significant trees along Epping Road’.

Trees on the future Ivanhoe Estate taken last year.

“Council’s Development Control Plan 2016 also seeks the provision of open space and the protection of the riparian corridor.”

Cr Laxale said there would be a need for increased buffers and setbacks to the threatened communities or the development’s relocation.

“As a minimum, council will expect a revision of proposed Ivanhoe Estate Master Plan to include the conservation of the Shrimptons Creek Riparian Corridor and to protect significant trees along Epping Road,” he said.

The Ivanhoe estate is being redeveloped at Macquarie Park

“The revision should include enhanced tree retention, reduced building footprints and more open space.

“The removal of trees at the Ivanhoe site is unprecedented for any one site in Ryde. If these plans are allowed to continue, it will be an ecological disaster.”