[dropcap]W[/dropcap]e are assured the population tsunami is definitely on the way for Campbelltown and Macarthur.
And if we rely on past experience we can bet on having thousands more fellow residents from Glenfield to Menangle any time soon.
What may not come at the same time is the investment needed to create local jobs.
Some on the council are carrying on as though very, very soon we will wake up one morning and won’t recognise the joint, but this couldn’t be further from reality.
No amount of glossy brochures is going to attract investment, and you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to detect such a self evident truth.
But eventually, in five, 10 or 15 years’ time, investors will figure out that they can make a buck in Macarthur and get their wallets out.
It’s precisely what’s happening in Liverpool with investors pouring billions into apartments, commercial buildings and in retail.
But we want to be ready when the investors come bearing wads of cash to build their high rises.
It is not set in stone, but as part of planning for this investment blitz, codes will be put in place to offer a reasonable amount of protection for our heritage.
Heritage is not just buildings; it can be land around a historic homestead for example, and the code will ensure it is not overshadowed by skyscrapers.
We don’t have that many heritage buildings left, thanks to uncontrolled development in the 1970s and 80s, but which would you nominate as the ones to be given the most protection?
Here’s our Top 5 heritage items that will deserve special protection from developers:
Number 1: This is a no brainer; the row of historic buildings that start from Allman Street and line that part of southern Queen Street opposite he Campbelltown Mall.
Number 2. The old court house on the corner of Railway and Queen Streets. It beggars belief that such a magnificent building escaped the vandalism that befell other historical structures.
Number 3: Glenalvon. A remarkably beautiful property and homestead with stacks of heritage items from Campbelltown’s past. Located in Lithgow Street, just off the heart of Queen Street, it would definitely need some protection from development.
Number 4: The old Fisher’s Ghost restaurant in Queen Street. Mind you that iconic old building deserves some TLC right now, not in 15 years.
Number 5: Quondong. It’s already heavily surrounded by the Campbelltown Catholic Club, Rydges and the indoor pool, but let’s not make it any worse in the future.
Yes MT GILEAD