Residents slam panel for approving big Greenacre boarding house, saying ‘we never had a chance’
Residents fighting a huge boarding house development in Greenacre have been left devastated following its approval by the South Sydney Planning Panel.
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Residents, who challenged a 52-room boarding house development on Boronia Rd, Greenacre, are devastated after the South Sydney Planning Panel narrowly approved it.
Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour called the decision “a disgrace” and said it will have a devastating impact on the residents living there.
“This panel hearing, the whole thing is a circus,”Greenacre Community Resident Lobbying group spokesman Azzam Derbas said. “It was a total waste of tax payer money and a waste of time and effort for all the residents that objected because we never had a chance.”
Despite several, often emotional submissions by members of the Greenacre Community Resident Lobbying group, the principal of Banksia Road Public School and the mayor, the panel voted 3-2 in favour of the developer after the meeting finished late on Wednesday.
The two Canterbury Bankstown Councillors on the panel, Bilal El-Hayek and Rachelle Harika, voted against it.
Cr El-Hayek said the decision is a good example of the government’s decision to take the ‘local’ out of local planning decisions.
Banksia Road Public School principal Hamish Woudsma spoke of the anxiety he faces every day when the students leave due the heavy traffic in the area.
He said he is very worried about student safety and traffic congestion especially as the school is building more classrooms. “I cringe at the traffic every day,” he told the panel.
On November 27, 2017, two boys were killed when a vehicle crashed into one of the classrooms at the school.
Residents and representatives of community groups who spoke against the proposal said it could put children at risk — because of ‘undesirables’ living in the complex — and increase the chances of accidents occurring on this busy road.
Some even said they would be forced to sell and leave the street because of the adverse impact it will have on their community.
A spokeswoman for the NSW Department of Planning and Environment said the panel’s final decision and its reasons will be available on their website within seven days.
According to the DA 384/2018, lodged in May 2018, the plans include a 52-room boarding house at 144-146 Boronia Rd, with 26 car and 11 motorcycle parking spaces.
It is next door to Greenacre Girl Guide Hall and close to Banksia Road Public School.
Principal of Banksia Road Public School, Hamish Woudsma, joined the Mayor Khal Asfour, Greenacre Community Resident Lobbying group spokesman Azzam Derbas and residents, including Dusanka Popadic, in speaking out against the proposed development.
Mayor Asfour told the panel that a resident of Greenacre, the boarding house proposal was wrong and if was resubmitted under the new laws, it would not be passed.
“This would not have occurred if the NSW Government hadn’t rejected our proposal to prohibit boarding houses in low residential areas,” he told the Express after the project was approved.
“It’s a disgrace!
“Due to the fact this development application was lodged with council last year, officers were forced to assess it on the controls in force at that time and recommend approval to the Government appointed Local Planning Panel.
“If this development was submitted today, the maximum number of rooms allowed would be 12, not the 52 which have been approved.
“The innocent victims are the residents of Greenacre who now have to deal with inadequate parking and open space.
Cr El-Hayek said three members of the Regional Planning Panel, appointed by the NSW Government, approved a 52-room boarding house in Boronia Road Greenacre.
“The two community representatives on the panel, including myself, opposed it,” Cr El-Hayek said.
”This development would not have even been considered, if the government hadn’t rejected Council’s proposal to prohibit boarding houses in low residential areas.
“As a result, due to the fact this development application was lodged with council last year, officers were forced to assess it on the controls in place at that time, and recommend approval to the Planning Panel.
“Unfortunately, this an example where the State Government has taken the ‘local’ out of local planning decisions, with people not familiar with the character of a local area, tasked with making decisions based on whether boxes are ticked, rather than considering the opinions of local residents who need to live with the ramifications.”
‘THE WHOLE THING IS A CIRCUS’
A local resident, an estate agent Azzam Derbas said the approval of the boarding house is very upsetting to local families.
”Boarding houses are important but should not be as big as this one,” Mr Derbas said.
“We are not against boarding houses, affordable housing of this type help people get back on their feet and is very much needed affordable accommodation”
“What we don’t want is a boarding house of this magnitude, it is the same as having a large block of units built amid low density residential homes.
“Visually also it will have an impact on the street which is mostly single level family homes.
“This panel hearing, the whole thing is a circus, it was a total waste of tax payer money and a waste of time and effort for all the residents that objected because we never had a chance.
“They (the panel) were always going to approve this boarding house.
“They do not listen to the community, they really do not care.
“We had a petition of about 1500 abjections from locals, the Mayor Khal Asfour objected, councillor Bilal El-Hayek objected and our local MP Jihad Dib also objected and addressed parliament about the issue of large-sized boarding houses.
“A large number of neighbours addressed the panel and made desperately pleaded with the panel not to approve this very large boarding house and ruin their neighbourhood.
“Total waste of time, they only pretend to hear us out.”
“The Labor Government implemented these laws permitting this type of huge, jumbo boarding houses to be built in the middle of low density family homes.
“Fortunately the present Planning Minister has rectified it.
“Under the new laws, there is a cap 12 rooms for a boarding house regardless of the lot size. “This is very welcome and will fulfil the desired function with damaging quiet family neighbourhoods.
“We hope the developers put up fences and other items to protect the neighbours privacy, security and peaceful enjoyment of their homes.”
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“The Labor Government implemented these laws permitting this type of boarding houses but fortunately the present Planning Minister has rectified it.
“Under the new laws, there is a cap 12 rooms for a boarding house.
“We hope the developers put up fences and other items to protect the residents.”
Lakemba state Labor MP Jihad Dib said developers have found a loophole around the state planning laws, which he said must be changed, “because any residential road can have boarding houses”.
The Greenacre Community Resident Lobbying group said it had got more than 1000 signatures for their petition to block the proposal and had written to the Premier and Planning Minister without success.
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