Jacqui Kirkby, the convenor of Scenic Hills Association and co-owner of Varro Ville Homestead, has urged Campbelltown councillors to support a notice of motion at tonight’s meeting calling for online access to the development application for the Varroville cemetery.
The notice of motion has been tabled by Greens councillor Ben Moroney, and it also calls for the public exhibition period be extended until March 23, 2018.
Ms Kirkby has written to all councillors to say that council’s refusal to place the Varroville Cemetery DA documents on its website “makes it difficult for many in the community, particularly those outside the Campbelltown LGA, to make a submission’’.
“No other council we’ve contacted (Camden, Blacktown, Fairfield, Liverpool, Penrith) restricts DA access in this way,’’ Ms Kirkby said in her letter to councillors.
“This disadvantages our community.
“We believe that the Varroville cemetery can be stopped at the DA stage.
“It was able to avoid dealing with key issues during the rezoning but cannot avoid these in the detailed planning.
“This is the wrong location; it is bad planning.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“However we cannot act effectively, or get expert input, if the documents cannot be accessed online.[/social_quote]
“The Carmelite nuns, who adjoin this cemetery and oppose it, have also written to council saying that, as a ‘cloistered’ community, they cannot be expected to respond to the DA documents on a ‘view only’ basis in Campbelltown’s libraries.
“Please help us protect our heritage and our Scenic Hills,’’ Ms Kirkby said.
Also on the agenda for the last meeting of the year is a call by Cr Paul Lake for improved bus services.
Council is also expected to proceed to the next stage of plans to establish a Georges River recreational trail from Glenfield to Wedderburn.
A feasibility study is the next stage, which will also look at the viability of a bush cycle path along the same route.
• Tonight’s meeting on the third floor of the Queen Sreet administration centre will start from 6.30pm.
