Residents angry as Canterbury Bansktown Council approves Ashbury development plans
A Sydney council has infuriated residents after approving a development proposal allowing high-rise in an industrial area which they say would ruin ‘heritage character’.
The Express
Don't miss out on the headlines from The Express. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Canterbury Bankstown Council has approved a multi-storey residential development proposal for two industrial sites at Milton St, Ashbury, in the face of community opposition, with three councillors also voting against it.
The council voted 9-3 last week to approve the proposed development of an unused industrial site in Ashbury. There was one absentee.
Ashbury Community Group members were gutted when the council brushed aside their concerns of losing the heritage character of the suburb as the long-standing saga was voted on.
Matt Burke, a member of the Ashbury Community Group, said since the suburb was one of the highest points in Sydney, residents on top floors of the proposed high-rise buildings could have a panoramic 360-degree view of the city.
Developers of two unused industrial sites on Milton St, Ashbury - Ashbury FMBM and Coronation Property Co (Tyres) - wanted to build up to 12 storeys but the council approved six, and limited that maximum height to two buildings.
The sites in question are 149-163 Milton St (earlier used by Chubb Security) and 165-171 Milton St (formerly used by Tyres 4 U and Complete Fire Door Specialists).
The council will now send the planning proposal to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment for finalisation. After this, the developers can submit a DA.
Mayor Khal Asfour was pleased they were able to limit the size of the buildings and stressed the alternative to not approving the proposal would mean the sites could be used for industry, meaning more trucks and noise.
The council heard submissions from two representatives of Ashbury Community Group, Jane Williams and Jacky Guardascione, who pleaded for more time before a vote was taken.
Representatives of the developers spoke in favour of the proposals.
Cr Clare Raffan’s proposed amendment to the Local Planning Panel was defeated by the council.
Councillors Asfour, Linda Eisler, Bilal El-Hayel, Philip Madirazza, Raffan, Nadia Saleh, Glen Waud, George Zakia and Mohammad Zaman voted for the proposal.
Meanwhile, councillors Linda Downey, Rachelle Harika and Steve Tuntevski cast the no votes. Cr Alex Kuskoff was not present.
Cr Asfour said the decision followed a two-year period of consultation, where the council worked with the land owners and local community for “the best outcome”.
“We negotiated with the land owner and carried out extensive community consultation, which included a number of community meetings, an extended 12-week public exhibition period, so residents could have their say,” he said.
“The original proposal, lodged with the council in 2017, was for the construction of 10 residential buildings up to 12 storeys but that was unacceptable to both council and residents.
“We’ve been able to cut the height in half to six storeys, and limit that maximum height to just two buildings, and reduce the overall density of the proposed development by 50 per cent.”.
Cr Raffan said after her amendment was defeated, she felt it was “then my duty to vote for council’s recommendation as a way of providing some certainty in the design and usage of the site”.
“No one could determine what would happen if the owners took council to the Land and Environment Court if the proposal was defeated at council on the night,” Cr Raffan said.
“It is implausible to stay that the site would remain as unused light industrial as it is fanciful to imagine that the owners would seriously contemplate that their property would lay dormant because that is what some in the community wanted.”
Ashbury Community Group member Mr Burke said it was a frustrating night.
“I was astonished in the meeting, when the mayor began to debate with our speaker, whether Ashbury was actually a heritage location.” Mr Burke told The Express.
“Of course it is, it was given that status by this council itself.
WE COUNDN’T BELIEVE
“We couldn’t believe that at the last minute, after five years of trying to reach a workable compromise and almost doing so with the quite reasonable recommendations made by the Independent Planning Panel experts to reduce height and bulk, that council itself could be the ones to take the proposal back to six levels without notice, then suggest to us that it is the best we are going to get now so take it.”
He and the group cited the decision by Burwood Council to rezone the Flower Power site at Croydon Park to three levels as a precedent for their motion.
Cr Steve Tuntevski said Ashbury should not lose its special character.
“The majority of Ashbury is a Heritage Conservation area,” he told The Express.
“I believe that the Federation and Inter War character of Ashbury should be maintained, which is also what the community wants.
“Although I support the site being rezoned from light industrial to residential, it should’ve be rezoned low-density residential, not high-density residential.”
Another Ashbury resident, Tony Rodi, the community representative for the Roselands ward in the Local Planning Panel, said that in 2017, all residents received a flyer from the council stating the NSW Government has imposed changes on all NSW councils are no longer involved in determining DAs, with this being handled by the Local Planning Panels.
WASTE OF TIME
Mr Rodi said that the council has decided not to go with the LPP’s decision which means it has been a “complete waste of time” after consultations with the community.
“A LPP proposal has been overturned by a vote by councillors who had not attended any of the community meetings or respected the expert determination by the LPP,” he said.
Cr Asfour said there will be greater access to Wagener Oval, with the proposed construction of a new road off Milton St.
He said the majority, if not all, existing residents will not be able to see the six-storey buildings from their homes.
FACTS
■ Approval for the proposal to rezone land at 149-171 Milton St, Ashbury, from
IN2 Light Industrial to R4 High Density Residential, amend the floorspace ratio
control from 1:1 to 1.1:1 and introduce height controls ranging from 8.5 to 21m
■ Ashbury Community Group at the most wanted medium-density housing to go with the current suburb status
■ The council will send a planning proposal to Department of Planning, Industry and Environment for finalisation. After this, the developers can submit a DA.