Three years after being lodged with council, the Menangle Park East Village housing proposal has received the green light.
The proposal that got the nod at Campbelltown Council’s last meeting of the year is a modified version of the original plan.
It includes an increase in open space from 2.4 hectares to 4.1 hectares, and a reduction in the maximum height of apartment towers from 6-8 storeys to 3-6 storeys.
The total number of dwellings has also been reduced from 2,073 to 1,907.
It also now offers a better design as well as a reduction in the number of proposed terraces.
These modifications to the original proposal didn’t sway the Greens councillors, Jayden Rivera and Teo Triebels, both of whom voted against it when it was put to the vote by Mayor Darcy Lound.
“While I accept we’re in a housing crisis, and need new housing, we need infrastructure to back it up,’’ Cr Rivera told the council during debate.
“We don’t have that here with this development.
“The trains to Menangle run every hour or so, and delays are frequent because the line is not electrified, and the station platform is very small.
“These people in these 2000 new homes would have to wait a long time to use public transport.
“The closest public school is 12 minutes away by car or 4- to 50 minutes by bus.
“In its current form I cannot support this,’’ Cr Rivera said.
Cr Cameron McEwan supported the modified Menangle Park East Village proposal.
“It will be a welcome addition to what will become a thriving suburb,’’ he said.
“It also sets a good standard for other developers to follow.’’
Mayor Lound also supported the development.
“We need to send a message that we support more housing, but it has to be a good development,’’ he said.
Menangle Park East Village was first considered by Council at its meeting in November 2022.
It was recommended that it be rejected, but it was instead deferred, and returned to council in its modified form in June.
After the vote in December, the proposal will be considered by the State Government.
Even if it gets a go ahead there it will be years before work starts on the first apartment tower.