Review of council development plan finds Canterbury Rd noisy, polluted, unsuitable for housing

THE grim state of Canterbury Rd has been exposed following a year-long investigation by Canterbury-Bankstown Council.

Graffitied buildings along Canterbury Rd. Picture: Angelo Velardo

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THE grim state of Canterbury Rd has been exposed following a year-long investigation by Canterbury-Bankstown Council.

Twelve months ago, in a bold move shortly after he was appointed, council administrator Richard Colley ordered a review into development along the Canterbury Rd corridor.

At the time, Mr Colley said excessive development approved by the former Canterbury Council had “eroded the integrity” of the Canterbury Residential Development Strategy — the corridor’s guiding plan.

Last Tuesday the unflattering findings of the review were released on the corridor that stretches 8.6km from Hurlstone Park to Punchbowl.

“Canterbury Rd is a noisy, polluted and harsh environment, generally unsuitable in its current state for housing,” the review states.

Shopfronts along Canterbury Rd, Canterbury. Picture: Angelo Velardo

With help from the Department of Planning, Transport for NSW and Roads and Maritime Services, the report found that 45,000 cars use the road daily and up to 1300 an hour in both directions in peak times.

A study into the amount of open space suggested it is “well below the accepted benchmark”.

Part of the lengthy 510-page report was to design a strategy.
The council has suggested seven “junctures” clustered along the road, to take the pressure off Canterbury Rd.

Apartment blocks would be limited to six storeys and have the capacity for about 9000 dwellings.
Parallel laneways and roads would improve pedestrian flow and circulation, keeping Canterbury as an arterial road.

The streetscape of Canterbury Rd, Canterbury. Picture: Angelo Velardo

Mr Colley said he was happy with the review, which will give the council more clout when putting in submissions about development blueprints such as the Sydenham to Bankstown urban renewal strategy.

But, Mr Colley said, it would not erase the bad decisions of the past.

“I was really happy that the three departments of state government … all have their signature at the bottom of this,” he said.

“You can’t address what’s already there and what is there around Canterbury Station is not good.”

Canterbury state Labor MP Sophie Cotsis said it was astounding that two weeks before the review was announced, the NSW Government designated Campsie, Canterbury and Belmore as priority precincts — adding thousands more houses to the area.

“The Berejiklian Government must address the issues outlined in this report (Canterbury review) before they even think about adding thousands of new dwellings to our local suburbs,” Ms Cotsis said.

Ms Cotsis will hold a meeting at Ashbury Bowling Club at 2.45pm on Saturday to hear community concerns about priority precincts.
The review, with its 15 recommendations, goes on public exhibition this month.