WARATAH PARK OPEN SPACE

WARATAH PARK PUBLIC OPEN SPACE UNDER THREAT

-In 2012 the then Sutherland Shire Council voted to allow Miranda RSL Club to enlarge its proposed development site at 874-876 Princes Highway Sutherland (Croquet Club) by including 13,348 square metres of adjoining public open space in Waratah Park (area between the Leisure Centre and the Croquet Club).

This is the same sized area of public open space as the very popular Centenary Park in Miranda which is visited by people from all over the Shire.

- The 13,346 square metres of public open space was advertised with a proposed building height of 30metres (10 Storeys) and propsed floor space ratio of 1:1 in draft LEP 2013.

There were 947 objections to the 10 Storeys and to the 1:1 floor space ratio and to the Council decision to allow the public open space to be included in the proposed Miranda RSL development site.

- In response Council removed the proposed 10 storey building height and 1:1 floor space ratio from the public open space land in the draft LEP.

- However the Council decision of July 2012 to allow Miranda RSL Club to enlarge its development site by including the public open space still stands. This decision is not in the public interest and should be rescinded by Council.

- In its Section 94 Developer Contrbutions Plan Council states that many of the Shires parks are at capacity. Due to the high cost of land, Council states that it cannot afford to acquire enough land to maintain the current ratio of open space per capita in the Shire and that instead, improvements will be made to existing public open space areas to increase their carrying capacity. Over time Council predicts that the amount of public open space per capita will decrease.

- There has been a much higher than anticipated amount of development since LEP 2015 came into force, the majority of it as high density around centres.

- New housing targets will soon be imposed on Sutherland Shire  by the State Government. Council will begin preparing a new LEP in 2018 to designate areas where the additional dwellings will be located.

- Sutherland and Miranda Centres have been nominated in the State Government Draft Sydney South District Plan as areas with potential for more high density development.

- Council has applied to the State government for Sutherland/Kirrawee to be a high density Urban Priority Precinct.

- All the current and forecast high density development will create demand for additional public open space. It does not make sense for Council to reduce the amount of public open space in Sutherland by allowing 13,346 square metres of existing public open space to be included in a development site.

Council Report: Strategy and Direction Committee 23/7/2012 SDC002-13 - Report  on Community Consultation Draft Sutherland Centre Strategy.