$2m payment to council for Bondi Junction development
A mayor has slammed a voluntary planning agreement as a “fine” on a company’s “over development”. He was speaking as Waverley Council accepted $2.02m from those developing 362 Oxford St, Bondi Junction.
Wentworth Courier
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A mayor has slammed a voluntary planning agreement as a “fine” on a company’s “over development”.
Waverley Mayor John Wakefield made the comments as he and fellow councillors accepted $2.02 million from developer Cassa Nova for its 14-storey development at 362 Oxford St, Bondi Junction.
While councillors spoke of their unease at accepting the money, the mayor said they would stupid not to.
“When you don’t accept a voluntary planning agreement (VPA) the developer gets the development without the fine which is in effect what this is,” the Labor mayor said. “It is a fine on the overdevelopment.”
He explained that councils have been stripped of their powers over planning decisions.
However, the council is offered money from a VPA for major projects to contribute towards transport, public amenities and affordable housing.
“They (the developer) will achieve this development scale … through the processes that have been imposed on us by the state government,” he said. “But what we get through a VPA is at least something to recover the situation around overdevelopment.”
He concluded: “You should be really annoyed if the developer gets away with putting $2 million back in their pocket which is exactly what will happen if this isn't supported.”
The $24 million plans for the mixed residential block in Oxford St were approved by the Sydney Central Planning Panel last year.
This is despite the design breaching both the height and floor space ratio limits for the area.
It will have six basement levels, shops along the ground floor and 69 units and 16 serviced studio apartments above.
Greens councillor George Copeland said the council needed to send a clear message about VPAs.
“I've always said this is the best of a bad lot,” he said. “It is a way of selling off public amenity to the developer in a sense.”
Calling for a change in the system, Greens Cr Elaine Keenan said: “It is the people of Bondi Junction who have to put up with this. I believe when we approve these we legitimise overdevelopment which obviously the people of Bondi Junction are really unhappy about.”
Chris Matthews, from the Bondi Residents’ Action Group, said the whole planning system is broken.
“The way it has been set up is not focused on the community.” he said. “That's what the government is supposed to do, represent the community, and it isn’t. It is for the developer, they have the ace in their hand.”
The developer has said the block will provide space for housing and shops in a building of “architectural excellence”.
“The proposal does not result in significant adverse environmental, social, economic or amenity impacts on the broader neighbourhood,” the developer added.
Waverley Council voted to accept the VPA with just Cr Sally Betts (Liberal), Cr Dominic WY Kanak (Greens) and Cr Copeland and Cr Keenan voting against.
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