The Campbelltown RSL development, which was given the green light last week, could mean a $2.5 million windfall for community facilities across the town centre.
Consultants for the proposal who spoke at the Campbelltown Council meeting last week revealed the estimated cost for the entire project would be $250 million.
Councillor Paul Lake, who asked what the cost was, says $250 million would translate to $2.5 million in a Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA), which is usually one percent of the project price.
A VPA is the system whereby developers contribute towards the delivery of public infrastructure to mitigate the increase in the number of people.
Although the RSL proponent has indicated a preference to enter into a VPA with the council, a formal offer was not incorporated with the planning proposal request, a report to council said.
A VPA can include public domain works, traffic and transport facilities, open space improvements or upgrades, heritage protection and preservation and other community and socially aligned infrastructure – in other words things that would provide a benefit to the current and future community of Campbelltown.
Council officers are currently working on a comprehensive development contributions plan, and this could be used as a baseline for any future VPA negotiations on the RSL proposal, the report said.
Greens councillor Ben Moroney voted against the RSL plan, saying it was not consistent with the vision of the Re-imagining Campbelltown strategy.
Cr Lake, who supported the proposal along with all of the other councillors, said, “we need people in the town centre and this will help’’.
Council had to vote to scrap its long standing 10 storey building height limits in the central business district to allow the plan to go ahead.
The RSL wants to build three towers for a hotel, residential apartments, commercial and retail premises as well as an entertainment plaza.
One of the towers will be 23 storeys high and another 20 storeys.
Cr Lake, who told council that it was becoming obvious the 10 storey limit had been a planning mistake, said none of the opponents to the plan had turned up to the meeting to speak against it.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“The only people who came to talk about it were the applicants – where were the residents opposed to lifting heights,’’ he said.[/social_quote]
A representative from the consultants for the project, Adam Byrnes, told council his clients were keen to get started as quickly as possible.
But they will have to bide their time because council attached several conditions to approval, including the preparation of a heritage impact assessment, detailed traffic impact study, shadow analysis and comprehensive public domain plan.
Which means it could be a least two years before the wrecking balls arrive at the current RSL building.
