The mayor of Wollondilly, Matt Gould, has joined the pile on against the state government for fast tracking plans for 20,000 new homes in outer South Western Sydney.
The mayor has unleashed a torrent of criticism of the NSW government in the wake of yesterday’s announcement that local councils will be bypassed during the planning approval process for these giant housing development applications.
He says 16,000 of these homes – in and around Appin (pictured) – would be within his local government area.
Along with Wilton, they would triple the population of the Wollondilly Shire, putting unprecedented pressure on an already struggling road network and highlighting the lack of public transport options, schools and health care.
“Once again we are seeing them rubber stamp massive residential developments in an area that completely lacks the most basic infrastructure to support it, and without any meaningful commitment to roads, public transport, schools, hospitals or other essential services,’’ Mayor Gould said.
“The State Government has clearly learnt nothing from the mistakes it has made at Wilton.
“No funds for infrastructure. No plan for local jobs. Our scarce rural lands and koala habitat destroyed forever,’’ he said.
“If the State Government was serious about actually addressing the housing crisis it would be focused on delivering the infrastructure needed to fast track the delivery of homes in Wilton, where the land has already been rezoned and where the delivery of thousands of new homes is only being held up by the failure of the government to provide the most basic enabling infrastructure.
“We are still waiting for important road connections to be built, for public transport, for schools, and for a hospital.
“Wilton will be a town the size of Port Macquarie and the Department of Education has been silent on plans for a new high school.
“Houses are needed, but so are the jobs. Residents of these proposed developments will be travelling ridiculously long distances to access employment,” Mayor Gould said.
Good on Mayor Matt Gould for his comments. It is time for the NSW Government to not only listen but work with Wollondilly Councillors and Council not shut our local representatives and Council out.
Councils won’t listen. They want the rates