Schofields Town Centre: State Government announces boundary changes
MORE homes are to be bulldozed after the State Government revised boundaries for Schofields Town Centre.
Rouse Hill
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MORE homes are to be bulldozed after the State Government revised boundaries for Schofields Town Centre.
The Planning Department last week released boundaries for the 800m precinct straddling the train station after announcing it as a priority precinct in June last year.
It is bordered by Eastern Creek, Grange Ave, Burdekin Rd and Advance, Gloucester and Grima streets.
But the precinct has expanded and now includes Diana, Perrett and Arcadia streets.
A department spokesman said it sent letters to landowners with the revised boundaries.
“The department is currently undertaking technical studies and planning for the area, including identifying infrastructure needs, a transport and traffic study, and a retail and employment study of the area,” he said.
It will consult with Blacktown Council and consultants until the end of the year.
“The department is on track to complete planning and technical investigations and to release a draft plan including infrastructure requirements and employment opportunities for Schofields Town Centre by the end of the year.”
Both sides of politics have called for more parking at the train station and object to high-rise buildings transforming Schofields.
Riverstone state Labor candidate Annemarie Christie said the announcement suggests there would be more medium to high density around the station.
“We still do not have enough schools to cope with current development,’’ she said.
“Also, this development is within 2.5km of Riverstone Town Centre which has ongoing issues with a level crossing in the main street and industrial traffic moving right through the centre of the town.
“It doesn’t make sense to hasten the influx of tens of thousands of new residents when there is no infrastructure in adjoining areas to accommodate this.”
Riverstone state Liberal MP Kevin Conolly rejected high-rise development at Schofields.
“In my view it would not be appropriate to permit CBD-style building heights in this town centre locality, which could allow pressure to build on planners and consent authorities to permit very tall buildings more generally in the region,” he said.
“Schofields is not likely to rival the CBDs of Parramatta, Penrith or Blacktown in terms of high rise development in the foreseeable future and nor should it in my view.
“The character of the town centre, while logically denser and higher than the surrounding suburban areas, should nevertheless reflect the place of Schofields in the planned centres’ hierarchy.”