‘Overdevelopment’: Council slams final Eastlakes Live proposal
A latest proposal put forward for a huge development in southeast Sydney has been slammed by Bayside Council as decision time nears on the 500-unit project. But the developer says it will benefit the community and be a thriving town centre.
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The latest proposal put forward for a huge development in southeast Sydney known as Eastlakes Live has been slammed by Bayside Council as decision time nears on the 500-unit project.
Developer Crown Group was given approval in 2013 to knock down Eastlakes Shopping Centre and build 405 apartments in buildings up to seven storeys, as well as build a new and upgraded shopping centre.
Crown Group was given further approval in 2018 to increase the size of the development, called Eastlakes Live, to 425 apartments.
Construction has now begun on the northern part of the site (stage one) and is due to be completed around the middle of next year. Work will begin on the southern site which includes the existing Eastlakes Shopping Centre after stage one is completed.
Despite the project getting underway, the developer has sought further changes to the huge development, asking for more apartments and taller buildings.
Crown Group is now pushing for 490 apartments to be built in blocks up to 12 storeys (or 60m) with the extra apartments to be added to the southern part of the site.
Bayside Council met last week and gave its final feedback to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) following about 18 months of going back and forward with the developer.
The council decided unanimously to send a letter to the department stating “council reiterates its requests that the DPIE rejects (the latest proposal)” and added the developer had not sufficiently addressed the council’s past concerns.
Those previous concerns included the height and scale of the project, visual impacts of the buildings, lack of public transport options for the Eastlakes area, and the project being “premature” considering an Eastlakes Local Town Centre Master Plan was still being completed.
“We are looking at overdevelopment … and we cannot allow it particularly in an area like Eastlakes,” councillor Scott Morrissey said.
However, the 490-unit proposal (known as MOD 4) has been scaled back since it was first put forward and at one stage was asking for 600 apartments to be erected in buildings up to 15 storeys.
Crown Group chief operations officer development, hotel and retail Pierre Abrahamse said Eastlakes Live would be a thriving centre when it was completed with benefits for the whole community.
“(Eastlakes Live) will be somewhere that residents can live, shop and play all in one place but which will also attract visitors from the surrounding area for its inviting new shopping and dining attractions,” he said.
“It aims to set a new standard for retail excellence with two major supermarkets and up to 50 other retailers offering fresh food, convenience goods and services … a restaurant promenade, street cafes, as well as landscaped gardens and children’s play areas.”
The Department of Planning or Independent Planning Commission will have final say on whether Crown Group can go ahead with the modified plans and increase the size of the development.