A community group calling itself Battle for Appin is calling for an inquiry into the fast-tracked rezoning of Walker Corporation’s 1378 hectare land bank in Appin.
It says the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption, NSW Auditor, and Environmental Chief Scientist need to look into a range of integrity and probity issues surrounding the fast tracking.
Battle for Appin is also calling on Wollondilly Council, state members of parliament, environmental organisations and other experts to support such an inquiry.
“We need our representative from all sides of politics to pay attention to the unfolding planning disaster in South Western Sydney and start standing up for our needs,’’ says Battle for Appin founder Michelle Maroun, pictured.
“This fast tracking will accelerate social and environmental decline that ultimately will become irreversible”.
Walker Corporation strongly refutes Battle for Appin’s claims of fast tracking and say it’s continuous misinformation they are sharing with the community.
“Appin has long been set aside as urban land for housing as far back as 1968 and was selected over three years ago in September 2020 under a pilot program created by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment to release urban capable land,” says Walker senior development manager Amanda McGuirk.
“The rezoning of Appin was finalised in June 2023 and in November 2023 an independent review ordered by Minister Scully and Planning Secretary Kiersten Fishburn found the Department of Planning had followed all due process in the rezoning of Appin.”
Ms Maroun says the rezoning process has opened up a lot of questions.
One is that Walker’s land was rezoned on June 30 with the legal provision: This precinct plan commences on December 15. In other words the rezoning took effect last Friday, December 15.
“We are now learning that the normal considerations for rezoning approval weren’t ready on June 30, so the department of planning decided to allow Walker the exclusive gift of urban land rezoning,’’ says Ms Maroun.
“This allowed an additional six months to catch up on important planning considerations such as major infrastructure provision, structure plans and heritage.
But Walker said now the rezoning has come into effect their team is solely focused on raising the benchmark for new communities, supported by infrastructure.
“Appin has been carefully selected by successive NSW Governments to provide housing with infrastructure, to combat the urgent housing supply crisis Sydney is suffering right now,” says Mrs McGuirk.
“Our three new Appin communities will provide an affordable and diverse range of housing which will allow young families the chance to get on the housing ladder locally, and stay close to their parents. The new Appin neighbourhood will thrive, supported by new wider roads, bushfire mitigation strategies, public transport, fresh water, sewer, electricity, digital infrastructure, schools, local jobs, large parks and shops.
“Conservation is a key pillar of our communities with over 500 hectares dedicated to preserving local fauna with protected and dedicated corridors.
“It’s important the community understands zoning is always the first part of the planning process and now landowners, state and local governments are finalising an infrastructure planning agreement in line with the Greater Macarthur 2040 Infrastructure Plan, which must be in place prior to the approval of any houses at Appin. The community will have an opportunity to comment on the planning agreement when it is placed on public exhibition in 2024.”
Ms Maroun said Appin residents also held concerns over the lack of bushfire evacuation strategies, pointing out that there was basically one way in and out of the Appin township.
But Walker said a bushfire evacuation study carried out by experienced consultants WSP as part of the Appin rezoning application and submitted to government, identified there would be appropriate and adequate evacuation routes in the unlikely event of a need to evacuate the entire region.
“Importantly, the delivery of new housing will bring much needed investment into infrastructure which includes the upgrade and creation of new roads providing additional travel and evacuation routes for the Greater Macarthur region,” says Mrs McGuirk.
“Bushfire mitigation strategies will be embedded in the design of our landscape and communities, incorporating best practice urban design, infrastructure support, and bushfire-sensitive home materials, as required under the NSW Government’s Planning for Bushfire Protection Guidelines.”
Walker have now opened the Appin Planning and Discovery Centre and are inviting the community to pop in and offer feedback to inform planning for Appin and the Greater Macarthur. To find out opening times go to www.futureappin.com.au
For many years journalists, members of parliament, environmentalists have been calling for thorough investigation of development in the Campbelltown and Appin area.
An area that was protected green space, the lungs for Campbelltown which allowed developers to develop Campbelltown for massive housing and industrial development then lost its protection under the past State Liberal Government.
How can it be right to take the protected green space/lungs/health that belong to Campbelltown and Macarthur and destroy it for the greed of a few?
Any corruption inquiry needs to go back further than the last couple of years. They also need to look into developers having office space in government buildings, developers building for the government, and the Landcom Bradbury/Airds re-development.