By James Wallace MP
In August the NSW Labor Government announced the rezoning of the Cherrybrook Metro Precinct. The rezoning allows for buildings ranging between 27 storeys opposite the Cherrybrook Metro station, and between four and seven storeys backing onto existing suburban homes. The total long-term projection is for 10,000 new homes.
It is significant enough to have ramifications beyond Cherrybrook and will impact the wider rural community.
Unfortunately, the Labor Government has failed to address the concerns raised by our community in the public consultation. Our community will be deeply disappointed with this result. The decision is short-sighted, poorly informed and overlooks real and significant community concerns about local schools, roads, sports fields and commuter parking.
There are significant issues identified by the community consultation which have not been resolved, including:
There are significant issues identified by the community consultation which have not been resolved, including:
• No new school site has been identified or reserved, and there is no upgrade plan for Cherrybrook Technology High School, which is already over capacity.
• No funding for the New Line Road upgrade we’ve been promised for years. This is despite the NSW Government receiving massive windfall revenues from the sale of the rezoned Cherrybrook land.
• While recognising the need for new sports fields, no new sports field has been identified or funded.
• No space has been reserved in the precinct for commuter car parking. This is despite widespread community concern and problems with residents accessing the Metro.
• Poor design principles with seven-storey apartment blocks backing onto single-storey family homes, with no buffer between them.
I will continue to advocate for our community and fight for the infrastructure we need to support growth.
