Canterbury Bankstown Council cheers government backflip

THE State Government’s backflip on fast tracking housing development in the Canterbury Bankstown area is already costing taxpayers $2.5 million.

Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour wants the government to tackle the “parking lots’ on several local roads, including Stacey St..

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THE State Government’s backflip on fast tracking housing development in the Canterbury Bankstown area is already costing taxpayers $2.5 million.

Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour, who called the Low Rise Medium Density Housing Code a “train wreck” of a policy, is hailing the latest decision by Planning Minister Anthony Roberts to suspend the plans until 2020 as a win for people power.

Mr Roberts presented Cr Asfour with $2.5 million in funding to enable the council to begin work on a new local environment plan for Canterbury Bankstown.

Planning Minister Anthony Roberts handed over the cheque for $2.5 million to Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour.

Medium density housing, including villas and townhouses, can only be considered in appropriate zonings, where a block of land is at least 1,200 sq.

It is also assessed and decided on by Council, applying rules and conditions under the Local Environmental Plan (LEP).

Cr Asfour said the code “would have been disastrous for our suburbs”.

“I’m happy and relieved sanity prevailed in the end and the minister ended such madness,” Cr Asfour said.

“We know we have to plan for growth and we’ll do that.

“But the government must meet its responsibilities and support that growth by providing the necessary schools, hospitals and transport infrastructure required.

“We haven’t seen anything which remotely shows they have a plan to address this.”

Cr Asfour is keen that the government signs off on the “undergrounding of Bankstown railway station”, saying this will bring untold benefits for the community.

Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour wants the traffic bottlenecks at Stacey St, Milperra Rd, Canterbury Rd, and Henry Lawson Drive fixed.

“I have been driving this vision for Bankstown’s CBD for almost 12 months,” he said. ”And I continue to advocate for it on behalf of the thousands of residents it will benefit.

“Uniting the north and south of Canterbury Bankstown’s CBD, by undergrounding the station, will have untold benefits for our community — allowing more investment and accessibility.”

Mr Roberts said he agreed to support the council’s planning proposal to reduce the permissibility of medium density in the Bankstown Local Environmental Plan.

“I informed the general manager of Canterbury-Bankstown Council that I had agreed to place a temporary pause on implementation of the Low Rise Medium Density Housing Code for the Canterbury Bankstown LGA,” Mr Roberts said.

Unchecked development is a worry for Canterbury Bankstown Council. Picture: Matthew Vasilescu

“The pause has come about so Canterbury Bankstown has extra time to get the strategic planning for medium density in its LEP up to date, as many other metropolitan councils have already done.”

Mayor Asfour said it is time the government “moved aside and allow us to plan for future growth in a responsible manner”.

“I’ve told the minister, his Government’s housing targets, which require us to accommodate an extra 50,000 dwellings and 150,000 more people over the next 20 years, are unrealistic,” Cr Asfour said.

He also wanted them to address the “parking lots which are our major state roads, such as Stacey St, Milperra Rd, Canterbury Rd, and Henry Lawson Drive”.