North Rocks: Development on former Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children site

A major ‘garden village’ on an iconic Sydney site where more than 1000 homes are planned has hit a stumbling block over the height of buildings within the development.

An artist’s impression of North Rocks Village including a library.

Plans for North Rocks Village, where more than 1000 homes are earmarked for the former Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children site, are on hold again with the developers and the council unable to agree on the project.

EG Funds Management asked Parramatta Council to defer its consideration of the proposal following a Parramatta Local Planning Panel meeting on October 18.

During that meeting, the panel unanimously noted significant differences between the council and developers, particularly over heights within the development.

The proposal includes 1080 new homes and a “garden village” with extensive parkland over a 12.67-hectare site once occupied by the RIDBC, which is relocating to Macquarie University.

The development would comprise 690 units, 236 townhouses and nine detached dwellings as well as an aged care centre with between 60 and 80 beds, and 145 independent living units.

The council wants heights to be restricted to three storeys but EG maintains it has fulfilled that requirement and 69 per cent of the plan would be low density, with “some opportunity for residential flat buildings” to reach seven storeys.

EG executive chairman Michael Easson welcomed the panel’s decision not to endorse the council recommendation to reject the proposal.

“The North Rocks Village masterplan has sought to deliver genuine housing diversity within a local centre context consistent with local and state planning policy,’’ he said.

An oval is part of North Rocks Village.

“With consideration to the surrounding infrastructure, the taller buildings are confined to the centre of the site with the tallest buildings located at the rear. These buildings are not skyscrapers and we believe they are appropriate to the surrounding context.’’

The matter will now return to the council but ultimately the Planning Department will determine the outcome.

The council has expressed several concerns about the proposal being out of character with leafy North Rocks.

A fortnight ago, the panel meeting heard how the proposal would allow buildings to leap from 9m to 25m or from three to seven storeys.

EG Funds Management wants to rezone the land at North Rocks Rd from R2 low density to part R3 and R4, which means medium and high density homes would be permitted in a new precinct to accommodate the homes.

A 2700sq m community hall and library between four and six storeys, and 700sq m for offices, a childcare centre, general shop and medical centre also could be in the pipeline if approved.

In April 2021, the developers offered a voluntary Planning Agreement to support infrastructure for the development including 5 per cent for affordable housing, a 1.8-hectare oval and a 1600sq m village square.

But a council report said the proposal fell short for a raft of reasons including lack of affordable housing, adverse traffic concerns, infeasible public transport, tree canopy, community facilities and bushfire risk.

EG says North Rocks Village will host a mix of housing.

A senior project officer for the council states in a refusal recommendation that building heights detracted from the council’s intent to promote dwellings no more than three storeys in the suburb.

The report said the development was incompatible with North Rocks, which the council defined as having “high levels of urban amenity and character … providing a significant amount of the existing urban tree canopy, and constituting one of the areas to be protected from further encroachment of high-density development”.

But the applicants hit back. Mr Easson told the panel the company tried to engage with Parramatta Council and organise a meeting with the mayor but attempts had failed.

He rebutted “every one’’ of the negative statements the council had linked to the project.

“We want to make this a thriving community and we hope to integrate with what is already at North Rocks, so we think this site has the potential to deliver genuine housing diversity,’’ he said.

“I genuinely seek the guidance of panel members. It is bewildering how it came to this.’’

Mr Easson said EG loved to consult the community and supported the continuation of the Carlingford Rotary Club-hosted market on the site.

A Hear the Children early intervention medical centre and dedicated housing for Royal Deaf and Blind Society Institute families was planned.

Other spokespeople for the applicant insisted North Rocks Village would retain almost half of its tree canopy and the development would give the suburb a chance to have a heart instead of somewhere “you just drive through”.

Parramatta independent councillor Georgina Valjak criticised EG’s public transport plan, saying a shuttle bus linking residents to bus stops was not sufficient.

After almost 50 years, the Royal Deaf and Blind Society Institute vacated the NextSense -owned site at 361-365 North Rocks Rd in 2018 when it made a $200 million profit.

The charity will relocate to a Centre of Excellence at Macquarie University next year.

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