Residents of the lllawarra’s northern suburbs are rallying in opposition to the proposed establishment of 57 new townhouses.
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Traffic, access, safety and aesthetic concerns are among the issues residents have raised regarding the redevelopment of a former industrial site.
Not-for-profit organisation Anglicare is proposing changes to the 2006 NSW Government approved concept plan for the former Cookson Plibrico site at Bulli.
Earlier this year, Anglicare unveiled a much-revised version of its 12-year-old plan for the Sandon Point project.
Once a purely aged care and retirement development, the new concept shows the northern portion – about half the 8.1-hectare site, including the plum “ocean view precinct” – is now set aside for standard townhouses.
The original approved concept plan allowed for an aged care home with up to 120 beds (four storeys) and a retirement village with up to 250 apartments (three storeys). The revised concept shows a residential aged care home with 68 beds, 130 retirement village apartments and 57 private townhouses with 111 car spaces.
Anglicare says the turpentine forest on the north-west of the site would continue to be protected from development, and an Aboriginal archaeological area beside Cooksons Creek would also be protected.
A community petition has been launched calling for the ceasing of “over-development in Bulli, Thirroul and surrounding suburbs”.
Bulli’s Catherine Boyatzis is among the residents who have launched the petition.
She said concerns included that the bulk, scale and size of the townhouse development is “not in line with the greater community and character of the northern Illawarra… Particularly the houses of McCauleys Beach and Sandon Point”.
Ms Boyatzis claimed that if the revised plans were approved, Anglicare would on-sell the land for the townhouses, and the developer would then build the townhouses for “a massive profit... and leave the chaos behind for the community”.
She also said there would be safety issues, including pedestrian safety on the popular Wilkies’ Walk.
The petition also claims that the roads in the northern suburbs are already heavily congested, and traffic issues will be exacerbated if the townhouses are approved.
Resident Natalie Devlin is also involved with the petition, and said the community was concerned that Anglicare hadn’t fulfilled commitments regarding the aged care component.
“It’s making it more about financial gain than community gain,” she said.
Anglicare has submitted its revised application to the Department of Planning.
“The population within the northern Illawarra region has been increasing at a reasonable pace and this is projected to continue into the future,” Peter Paltoo, executive general manager of property at Anglicare said.
“In particular the 65-plus population grew 15 per cent between 2011 to 2016, while the overall population grew by six per cent. We see our proposed development supporting this population growth within the region.
“We will ensure any decisions regarding the development will be based on what is best for our future residents and the community.”
Mr Paltoo said measures would be taken to relieve traffic pressure in the area.
“We will work with the relevant authorities to provide traffic calming measures to ensure the safety of the community… We are also conscious of the pedestrian and cycle pathways within the region and we will ensure our development will compliment these pathways,” he said.
The petition can be signed at Flametree Co-op in Thirroul and Ruby’s Cafe at Bulli.