Rouse Hill Bus depot: breakdown in CDC HillsBus 200 space bus depot talks

Residents have hit out at a bus company planning to build a massive depot near houses in a Sydney suburb, claiming representatives failed to answer questions at a recent meeting to address concerns.

Hillsbus is proposing a 200 space bus depot at Rouse Hill. Picture: AAP Image / Angelo Velardo

• Mile End Rd Bus Depot proposal: plans expanded
• CDC HillsBus defend plan for Rouse Hill bus depot
• Rouse Hill residents raise concerns over plans for bus depot

Residents have hit out at a bus company planning to build a massive depot near houses in Rouse Hill, claiming representatives failed to answer questions at a recent meeting to address concerns.

CDC HillsBus has been met with ongoing backlash over its development plans for the construction of a 208 vehicle bus depot off Withers Rd, Rouse Hill.

This is the second plan for a bus depot at the site, with the CDC NSW scrapping original plans closer to Mile End Rd following objections by hundreds of residents.

An overview of the bus depot plans for Withers and Mile End roads, Rouse Hill.

Residents have raised concerns about access to the depot, the impact 799 bus movements will have on local congestion, loss of home value and the proximity to homes.

Mailey Cct resident Sharon Stone said residents were furious by CDC NSW’s plans.

“Before the conciliation conference this month we did a doorknock of residents and a lot of people were still completely unaware of what was happening,” Ms Stone told The Times.

“Real estate agents have told residents that the value of our homes could be reduced by 10 to 15 per cent, if the development goes ahead.

CDC HillsBus CEO S K Cheng.

“But it is the noise and congestion that is the real issue — it will reduce our quality of life.”

Ms Stone said CDC NSW completed a second acoustic report to identify the impact noise would have on surrounding homes: “but they didn’t provide access to the report at the meeting and wouldn’t confirm that this is a low noise generating development — despite being asked several times”.

But a CDC HillsBus spokeswoman said the company “made available its technical experts, so that community concerns could be addressed”.

“Close to 80 per cent of daily trips in The Hills are made by car, one peak hour bus takes up to 50-60 cars off the road,” the spokeswoman said.

Concerned Mile End Rd residents Rob and Andrea McFarlane, Carol and John Van De Maele, Dr David Anger, Emily Van De Maele, 8, Kelly Zammit, David Van De Maele, 11, Cayleen Gualterio, Michael Lambert and Neil Poullos at Rouse Hill. Picture: AAP IMAGE / Troy Snook

“The depot proposal is consistent with The Hills Council’s own Integrated Transport Direction and will better service The Hills region by improving bus capacity and reliability and linking buses with the soon-to-open Metro.”

The spokeswoman said traffic on Withers Rd is expected to increase by 60 per cent in the next ten years, with buses comprising of less than 0.05 per cent of annual vehicle movements.

“If the depot is approved, CDC would house a modern fleet of buses at Withers Rd,” she said. “These buses are quieter and have far lower vehicle emissions than buses of the past.”

CDC NSW conducted technical studies in surrounding streets “that general traffic noise on Withers Road will mask bus movements:, according to the spokeswoman.

“Monitoring indicates the depot would cause an average five decibels above current background noise on Withers Road, which meets NSW regulations.”