These Raby residents outside the Campbelltown Council chambers last night enjoyed their victory over a developer who wants to establish a large child care centre in the middle of their quiet suburban street.
But they also knew that council joining them in their stance was winning a battle and not the war.
The fate of the development application will be determined by the Campbelltown Local Planning Panel, an independent body that is the approval authority on certain matters.
Residents are now looking into the viability of seeking legal advice and even representation for when the Panel meets to make a decision on the controversial child care centre for 19 McDonnell Street.
Last night, a public forum was held in the council chamber, where three residents addressed the council, outlining the reasons for their strong opposition to the 120 place centre proposed by the developer.
They spoke of an existing traffic nightmare that will be made even worse, parking issues and the destruction of the amenity of living at the foot of Campbelltown’s beautiful Scenic Hills.
There was a break after the forum, and then everyone filed back into the chamber once again for the extraordinary meeting of council called by Mayor Darcy Lound.
There wasn’t much debate, but it quickly became crystal clear that if Campbelltown Council had its way, the child centre would already be knocked on the head.
Most councillors understand that developers eyeing our residential streets for things like group homes and child care centres is the thin edge of the wedge.
Cr Cameron McEwan is one of those councillors who gets it: “It used to be that if you bought a house in a quiet residential street, you could be confident that it would remain that way,’’ he told council last night.
“Now you could end up next to a double townhouse, or a row of villa homes – or a child care centre.
“And that’s not right.
“This DA is not appropriate for the area that is proposed.
“I have received numerous emails from residents who don’t want this proposal to go ahead, but have not received a single email from anyone in support of the DA,’’ Cr McEwan said.
The star of the night was veteran councillor Meg Oates, who tabled a tremendous amendment to the mayoral minute, and which was supported by all 10 councillors present when put to the vote.
In her 39th year on council, Cr Oates did the hard yakka to produce a compelling list of reasons why the child care centre should be rejected by the Planning Panel.
We have reproduced it below in full so readers can judge for themselves
“That the Council lodges a submission of objection with the Campbelltown Local Planning Panel to DA: 6292/2025/DA-C for a new 120 place childcare facility at 19 McDonnell Street, Raby, NSW 2566.
That the Council’s submission includes the following reasons as to why the development application should be refused:
Incompatibility with the objectives of a C4 zoning in that it is a commercial development proposal in what is primarily zoned a low-density residential area.
Under the LEP, the protective C4 zoning is intended for low impact development that preserves environmental values, and this proposed development is adjacent to an R2 zone.
Non-compliance with Section 4.0 Scenic Hills Campbelltown DCP, and Section4.2-Desired Future Character-Rural Residential zoning. Many residents chose to live in McDonnell St to enjoy the quiet, rural and environmental lifestyle that the zoning promised.
The proposal would create a “zoning creep’ that would destroy the intended purpose of the C4 zoning, which is to provide a transitional barrier between the Scenic Hills and the residential zone, designed to protect the integrity of the hillsides and the visual and ecological significance of the scenic hills.
The removal of numerous mature trees would further deplete the established landscape and visual amenity that Campbelltown residents enjoy and would not conserve the rural and bushland character of the land and would have significant impacts on native wildlife.
The size and scale of the proposal will greatly exacerbate the already existing traffic chaos that occurs on McDonnell St due to the volume of vehicles daily using the busy Thunderbolt Drive and Raby Road traffic network to access homes, schools and the new suburbs of Emerald Hills and Gregory Hills.
The existing infrastructure does not cope with current daily traffic movements, including buses and Council services, with residents of McDonnell Street and other smaller side streets often blocked in and unable to exit, especially during peak travel hours.
The additional potential 96 vehicle trips per hour to operate the Child Care Centre will create unacceptable strain on the road system, with potential safety issues.
Parking and drop off and pickup for users of the centre in this location will be dangerous for drivers and pedestrians.
On site parking for staff and parents is also woefully inadequate and will lead to dangerous on street parking conflicts.
The proposal itself contains inaccuracies in terms of street names and localities, as well as stated traffic numbers and regulations regarding childcare centre numbers and staffing, that do not meet the objectives of Campbelltown’s DCP Part 8. It would appear that this proposal is a ‘cut and paste‘ job from another proposal.
The bulk and scale of the proposal would create unacceptable visual and auditory effects that will seriously impact on adjoining residents and will change the quiet amenity of their lives.’’