Randwick Council and billionaire Harry Triguboff battle over Meriton’s Zetland development

Fears a neighbouring suburb would effectively become a “parking lot” if a 90m tower, proposed by a billionaire developer, gets the green light was one concern raised at a fiery community meeting.

Artist impression of Meriton’s planning proposal at 118-130 Epsom Rd and 905 South Dowling St, Zetland – submitted to City of Sydney.

A fiery battle between a Sydney billionaire developer and an eastern suburbs council over plans for a 90m tower at Zetland came to a head in a tense public meeting, where residents and local political leaders called for better infrastructure.

Plans have been lodged with the City of Sydney to modify approved plans by Meriton for the former Holden Suttons car dealership, on Epsom Rd and South Dowling St, to change the site’s height limit to allow one building to stand 25 storeys tall. In turn, the surrounding buildings approved for the site would be reduced in height.

The project would ultimately deliver 784 apartments and 30 townhouses on the site.

Despite the development site being located in a neighbouring local government area, Randwick Council unanimously voted at a recent meeting to send correspondence to the City of Sydney calling for the modified plans to be rejected.

Heffron MP Ron Hoenig speaking at Thursday night's meeting.

The plans have also sparked backlash from concerned residents in Zetland and West Kensington, with Heffron state Labor MP Ron Hoenig joining more than 60 residents at Rosary Primary School’s Jubilee Hall to rally against the 90m tower.

Mr Hoenig called for “reasonable” submissions to be made to the City of Sydney and told residents due to the zoning of the site there was “going to be a high rise there whether Meriton” was there or not.

The crux of resident concerns centred around the impacts of the proposed tower on surrounding infrastructure and parking, with fears the City of Sydney residents would park in West Kensington, in the Randwick area.

Mr Hoenig also criticised the previous state Liberal government’s decision to not have the Sydney metro line service the Rosebery and Zetland suburbs.

More than 60 residents at Rosary Primary School’s Jubilee Hall to rally against the 90m tower.

Planning expert James Lidis spoke at the meeting and said current public transport infrastructure wasn’t sufficient in the area, with Green Square train station being 1.1km from the Meriton site.

He said another metro station was needed at the site to cater to residents who are already faced with a lack of parking options.

When questioned earlier on Thursday about Randwick Council’s objection to the proposal, Mr Triguboff said Meriton had done “everything according to the code” and highlighted the site sitting in City of Sydney.

Meriton planning proposal 118-130 Epsom Rd and 905 South Dowling St Zetland submitted to City of Sydney

“Randwick Council are worried that [City of Sydney residents will] go to the Randwick municipality. For their information all the shops, all the childminding centres and supermarkets are all in Zetland,” he said.

On the contrary, Mr Triguboff said Randwick residents “come to [Zetland] all the time”.

“For us [City of Sydney residents] to go there, there is nothing to do. So, they [Randwick Council] haven’t got to worry that we will go there”.

Randwick councillor Andrew Hay spoke at the community meeting and rejected the billionaire’s sentiments, saying if the proposal was to go ahead “West Kensington would become the parking lot” for new residents.

He said the number of proposed parking spaces by Meriton was far too low and called on the City of Sydney to be “good neighbours” and allow “more parking spaces” in the plan.

Randwick councillor Alexandra Luxford. Picture: John Fotiades

Randwick councillor Andrew Hay.

Fellow Randwick councillor Alexandra Luxford supported Mr Hay.

“[We] need proper public transport, [the] area is serviced by a handful of bus routes … [and the] 370 bus route got voted the worst … in Sydney,” she said.

Despite the pushback Mr Triguboff has declared there was a “need [for] high rise apartments” in the area. “That is done all over the world, that is how we house people,” he said.

“We don’t have to, I didn’t wait for a housing crisis, I’ve been building for 60 years and people have been buying from me for 60 years. We don’t need a housing crisis.”

Mr Triguboff said “a few more will not make any difference”, highlighting Zetland was “practically filled with apartments anyway”.