State Labor planning and infrastructure spokesman Michael Daley joined Member for Macquarie Fields, Anoulack Chanthivong to raise concerns about the NSW Government’s designation of Glenfield as one of 15 new “priority precincts’’.
Federal Member for Werriwa, Anne Stanley, also joined the stand.
Priority precincts are the NSW Government’s scheme to allow them to over-ride local communities and rezone entire areas for an increase in density.
Under the newly revealed maps, almost 100 percent of Glenfield will be designated a priority precinct, encompassing the green open space surrounding Hurlstone Agricultural High School and a number of schools for specific purposes – Campbell House School, Ajuga School and Glenfield Park School.
“These priority precincts have not been well thought out, and like this government’s offerings on infrastructure delivery and other development sites it is a disorganized mess,’’ says Mr Daley.
“What each of these priority precincts has in common is that they allow the Berejiklian Government to once again ignore and bully the community and override democratically elected councils.
“There is a hidden agenda here and I don’t trust this secretive, arrogant and disorganized government when it comes to looking after the interests of local communities.”
Labor also says the Liberal Government is selling off the Hurlstone Farm to developers, with the school to be relocated to the Hawkesbury – selling out south west Sydney’s education and environmental needs.
Only last week, the Sydney South West Planning Panel approved some of the school’s buildings for demolition, marking the start of the demise and desecration of Hurlstone at Glenfield.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Glenfield, like all of south west Sydney, is already bearing the brunt of Sydney’s urban splatter,’’ says MP Anoulack Chanthivong.[/social_quote]
“This is yet another greedy land grab at the expense of valuable school land and our precious green grid.
“Overdevelopment comes at a huge cost.
“Under the Berejiklian Government, our vital green open space will be swallowed up by developers for even more houses, more congestion and more tar and concrete,’’ he said.
The Glenfield priority precinct forms part of the government’s previously announced plans for the Glenfield to Macarthur Strategy, which mandated 15,000 new homes along the corridor.
A carparking crisis is already affecting commuters at Glenfield Station and along the south west rail corridor.
Later this year, Glenfield Station is set for more congestion when all T5 Cumberland Line and T2 South Line train services start and end at Leppington Station, forcing commuters south of Glenfield through to Macarthur to change at Glenfield.
Labor says this is at odds with the government’s precinct plans.
On top of everything else, Labor says the government delivered next to nothing for the Macquarie Fields electorate from the State Budget.
“It is clear from our overflowing commuter carparks, our crowded trains and the urban squeeze on our streets that the government has got it wrong,’’ Mr Chanthivong said.
“This government makes a windfall in stamp duty from our residents, yet fails to deliver on key infrastructure.
“It’s appalling and it’s unfair. Stop the squeeze.”
