MERITON RESURRECTS HIGH RISE PLAN FOR LITTLE BAY

Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker has slammed recent changes to planning rules by the NSW Government potentially allowing mega-developer, Meriton a third attempt to rezone Little Bay for high-rise towers bypassing council and the community.

The NSW State G overnment is currently considering whether to include a new proposal from Meriton in its controversial fast-track Rezoning Pathways Program which it announced in Dec 2022. To be considered for the program, developments must create over 1,000 new dwellings.

If the NSW Gover nment agrees to include Meriton’s Little Bay site under its special ‘fast-track’ program, the NSW Department of Planning will conduct the assessment on the proposal and the decisionmaker will be the Minister or delegate of the Department of Planning allowing Meriton to side-step assessment and decision by council.

Randwick Council was recently notified that an application had been received for a site in Randwick City but that staff were required to sign a legally binding confidentiality agreement before they would be provided details or be able to provide technical comments. Meriton has since confirmed to the media the application is theirs.

This would represent Mer iton’s third attempt to build on the site. Council rejected a planning proposal for 22 storeys and 1,909 new dwellings in 2020. A rezoning review lodged with the NSW Department of Planning was also refused unanimously by the independent Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel in 2021.

“Giving m ega -developers like Meriton multiple rolls of the dice to destroy a beautiful coastline is offensive enough but for the NSW Government to do so by keeping communities in the dark and gagging public servants is scandalous to the extreme,” Mayor Parker said.

“Council has a lready done the heavy lifting by working alongside community to prepare appropriate controls that accommodate sensible growth. Allowing Meriton three attempts to change the rules that apply to them is simply outrageous.”

Meriton purchased the beachside site known as Little Bay Cove in March 2018 which came with completed public infrastructure including roads, footpaths, a playground and an approved shovel-ready masterplan for around 450 dwellings in buildings 2-5 storeys high.

“If we are serious abo ut supplying quickly the housing Sydney needs, the NSW Government should stop-indulging mega-developers like Meriton and their high-rise fantasies and instead tell them to get on with the job of building to the existing approval. The site is shovel ready.” Randwick Mayor, Dylan Parker said.