Parramatta Council discusses Telopea masterplan for extra units

A bold plan to reimagine a western Sydney suburb with new 22-storey towers and community facilities has critics bracing for the influx of 10,000 residents to move in.

Critics fear Telopea’s troubles won’t improve despite the State Government’s $100 million masterplan, which includes 4700 dwellings and the light rail, pledging to transform it into a vibrant suburb.

An influx of 10,000 residents living in 4700 units are planned for the suburb, with 1000 earmarked for social and affordable housing. The new blocks will dwarf the old nine-storey buildings, known as by locals as the three sisters, which will be demolished to make way for 22-storey towers.

A housing commission tower in Telopea. Picture: Tim Pascoe

The site currently has about 1400 homes, including 640 that are government-owned social housing dwellings, 152 are operated by community housing providers while 570 are private homes.

Despite Parramatta Council this week endorsing a development control plan to go on public exhibition before returning to the chamber, it won’t have much of an impact on the government’s plan.

Telopea will get a new supermarket and shops but critics say it won’t be adequate to serve the growing population. Picture: Tim Pascoe

Parramatta Deputy Lord Mayor Michelle Garrard said the government failed to listen to the community and only achieved its plan by compulsory acquisition of the 13-hectare Telopea estate.

“There’s no community infrastructure adequate enough in the current suburb without the development,’’ she said.

“There’s no additional schools, we’re not getting anything newer, the state has given us no commitment on a new community centre if they choose to take it away from us.’’

How the new Telopea will look.

Labor councillor Donna Davis slammed the plan for neglecting to provide services such as Telopea Public School upgrade and only allocated $5 million to upgrade the existing Sturt and Acacia parks.

“No one is going to deny that Telopea and the housing commission properties in this particular suburb have been left without maintenance, without care for a very long time and there’s been a very big need for revitalisation of those buildings,’’ she said.

She said the development’s state significance status meant the council had its “hands tied behind its back’’ for a “poorly rezoned process’’ which allowed high-density homes a week before Christmas in 2018.

Councillor Donna Davis wants more services for Telopea. Picture: Richard Dobson

But supporters say there will be plenty of services with the Parramatta Light Rail, a supermarket for the 7000sq m retail precinct, a childcare centre, library and community centre, a church and aged care and independent living facility, a rail plaza, a 2500sq m park at Polding Place and road upgrades.

Liberal councillor Benjamin Barrak said critics sustained “a perpetual attack on state government policies which are intrinsically good for this city’’.

He said Telopea’s revitalisation would be well serviced with affordable housing and the light rail.

“The light rail is a brilliant piece of infrastructure which is going to reduce congestion on our roads,’’ he said.

A Planning Department spokesman said plans for the Telopea precinct were publicly exhibited for consultation for more than five weeks between October and November in 2017.

“A total of 45 written submissions were received with all information carefully considered, before the Telopea precinct was rezoned by the department,’’ the spokesman said.

In December 2019, Frasers Property and Hume Housing were announced as the Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) development partner for the Telopea precinct.

As each development is completed, new social housing properties are handed over to LAHC.

It is expected that Frasers and LAHC will lodge an environmental impact assessment with the Planning Department by July before it is placed on public exhibition.

The council will have the opportunity to put in a formal submission to the Planning Department.

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