News

Mixed reaction over six-storey hike plan

A PLAN to bring thousands of new residents to Berala, with building heights to be increased up to six storeys around the station, has met with mixed reactions from residents and councillors, but has support of the majority.

It’s part of the State Government’s Transport Oriented Development Program to increase housing by allowing development up to six storeys within 400m of several train stations, including Berala, with planning controls to be in place from October.
Last month Cumberland Council decided to further consult with the community and advocate for funding for the necessary growth infrastructure to support the plan, but the issue was back for debate last week with councillors Helen Hughes and Paul Garrard unsuccessful in their call for Berala to be removed from the plan.
Cr Hughes said the plan would effectively triple the number of residents and only exacerbate the already huge problems with traffic and illegal parking.
She said the area didn’t have enough infrastructure to cope now … “We are already too far behind where we have to be”.
“This is ridiculous, we do not deserve this,” she said.
“They just dump, dump, dump on Western Sydney.”
Also supporting the call was Councillor Kun Huang who said residents hadn’t been “consulted properly” and would not benefit from the plan.
“The Minister should come to Berala and talk to our residents and listen to their concerns,“ he said.
However, Councillor Eddy Sarkis said “you can’t put the cart before the horse…. This is the only way we are going to see improvements in the area”.
“That’s the harsh reality,” he said.
“I’ve heard it said that we don’t have everything we need for this to occur, but if we don’t have these increased densities we’re not going to get more schools, we’re not going to get more train stops, we’re not going to get an uplift to the station, we’re not going to get better shopping centres and we’re not going to get a better traffic management plan until we have those densities there,” he said.