Community voices concerns over City Plan

The Pyrmont local community voiced major concerns over the draft City Plan at a well-attended forum with City of Sydney planning executives last Thursday.

The Council was represented by Andrew Thomas, and Francesca O’Brien from the City Plan Development Unit, who made a presentation to the audience at the Pyrmont Community Centre and took questions from attendees regarding the latest draft set of planning controls.

While the new City Plan aims to deliver a streamlined, simpler process for development within the City of Sydney, it has become a highly contentious subject, attracting criticism from residents who fear over-development in an area already short on public open space.

Convenor of Pyrmont Action Inc., Elizabeth Elenius, said that an approach must be made to the new State Government to give further consideration to the basic requirements set down by the previous Government, which have been restrictive to the drafting process.

“It is now quite clear that in preparing the draft City Plan, Council has been forced to comply with stringent and restrictive requirements set down by the Department of Planning and directions from the former Planning Minister,” stated Ms Elenius in a supplementary submission to Council.

Residents were particularly worried about the consolidation of the number of zones which has been reduced from 31 to 15 across the state and could potentially transfer a number of “undesirable uses” to each of the remaining re-classified zones.

Pyrmont Community Group President, Jean Stuart, said prior to the meeting that she and fellow residents were particularly troubled by what they perceived to be a lack of controls in the City Plan to secure public open and recreational space.

“I would like to see that all land zoned for public recreation is devoted exclusively to that,” said Ms Stuart.

“In the old days, under the old controls, recreational land was used for kiosks and recreational usage.

“Under the City Plan you can now have boat moorings, indoor recreation centres, and registered clubs. And God knows what other things could be allowed.

“We would like Council to realise that open space is at a premium and it has to stay open.”

Ms Elenius reiterated the view that the draft LEP for the public recreation zone is far too broad.

The City Plan consists of the draft Sydney Local Environment Plan 2011(LEP) and the draft Sydney Development Control Plan 2010 (DPC). The LEP is the principle legal document under state legislation for controlling development while the DCP is a council document that supports the LEP with more detailed planning and design guidelines.

The City of Sydney has extended the time frame for public submissions on the City Plan to April 21 and has encouraged all members of the Community to tender their concerns.

Also in attendance on the night were City of Sydney Chief Executive Officer, Monica Barone and Councillor John McInerney.