[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he owners of the former Brands on Sale building near the northern end of Queen Street, Campbelltown have got big plans for the site.
Pacific Planning Pty Ltd have lodged a planning proposal request to increase the maximum building height from 26 metres or about eight storeys, to 87 metres, or a whopping 25 storeys.
Across six buildings, ranging in height from eight to 25 storeys, Pacific Planning want to create 19,220 square metres of commercial floor space and 1,045 residential apartments.
Yes, that’s 1,045 apartments.
The proposal is currently being assessed by council’s planning staff and it will be interesting to see which way they they go.
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[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen MP Greg Warren walked into the #dosomethingday function at Wests Leagues on Wednesday, he was accompanied by his newest staff member, Ben Chenoweth, the latest escapee from the incredibly shrinking world of printed newspapers.
Chenoweth had been with Fairfax Community Newspapers in Macarthur for almost six years before he jumped ship to Mr Warren’s office a few weeks ago.
Another print journo about to seek more secure surroundings is Louisa Cogno, who is leaving the Chronicle to take up a job in the communications section of Campbelltown City Council.
Her former boss, legendary editor Mandy Perrin, has also left behind the world of printing presses for a senior communications post at the local health district.
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[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ut it’s not just poor old newspapers dealing with the disruption and dislocation caused by the internet.
Many other industries are also shrinking the number of bricks and mortar offices they have, and the latest is the NRMA Campbelltown branch in Macarthur Square Shopping Centre.
The NRMA says the branch is “the next to be transformed into a kiosk and will move to Kiosk KU12B, Level 3 (Between Top Juice and HCF) on August 8’’, according to Amanda Whiting, the manager of customer service.
“Our location is changing but the help we provide won’t,’’ she says in an email sent to the media his week.
“The new kiosk will be cashless, but will still accept payments by card. If you’d prefer to use cash, you can make a payment for your policy at the Post Office,’’ she helpfully suggests.
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[dropcap]W[/dropcap]e are saddened to hear former councillor Wal Glynn is unwell at present.
Wal, a good fellow who retired from council at the last election, has recently undergone surgery but is now back home and we wish him a speedy recovery.
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[dropcap]S[/dropcap]peaking of councillors, it was nice to get a note from Campbelltown Councillor Ted Rowell, who wanted to thank us for the article we published recently about his absence from council.
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[dropcap]E[/dropcap]very man and his dog seem to be holidaying in Europe at the moment so there was no surprise when an email headed “Greetings from Serbia’’ landed in our inbox.
It was from south west rail line commuter carpark campaigner Michael Andjelkovic, pictured.
Attached to the email was the official response on behalf of the NSW transport and Infrastructure minister to Mr Andjelkovic’s push for urgent action to solve the commuter carparking crisis at Edmondson Park and Leppington.
It’s an understatement to say Mr Andjelkovic was less than impressed to be told “funding has been allocated in the 2018 NSW Budget to investigate options to provide additional commuter car parking at Leppington and Edmondson Park Stations’’.
“In my opinion this is nothing more than a token gesture to stall for time and put the carparking crisis petition on the back burner until after the election due in March 2019,’’ thundered Mr Andjelkovic all the way from sunny Serbia.
“No mention of the amount of funding or the time to be taken to do the research/investigation/feasibility for my suggestions.
“Compared to the $18 million election promise from the Labor Party (which I still would like a few more details on) it’s not a real commitment to fix the problem being experience by commuters,’’ he wrote.
“It’s a case of let’s see what the government comes up with by the end of August when I return to Australia.’’
This is what is called pushing them in particularly as there is no talk of any funding to provide the extra services that the increased population along with the high rise all along the rail from Glenfield to MacArthur. To think that people used to come to Campbelltown to have some space but now it is becoming another inner city suburb without the access to the old inner city amenities.