Town centre to see height on buildings surge by six storeys
BUILDINGS in the Auburn Town Centre (pictured) will be taller but density will stay the same under proposed new planning controls endorsed last week by a majority of Cumberland Councillors.
Cr George Campbell argued for maintaining height limits with reduced floor space ratios but his amendment was defeated.
Saying he supported the goal of improving the quality for high-rise building design by favouring slimmer structures with a significant amount of open space, Cr Campbell said he didn’t agree with increasing building heights to achieve it.
He said the community had repeatedly expressed concerns about overdevelopment, growth, population and high-rise.
“There is no mandate to continue the manic development policies of the past – let alone increase the intensity,” he said.
Also describing the proposed planning controls as ‘out of time’ with general community exceptions, Cr Paul Garrard encouraged the community to comment “towards achieving better outcomes” when the draft plan goes out to public exhibition.
However Cr Ned Attie labelled those who complained about heights and FSRs at “every consultation” as “whingers”.
He said just 50 people from 47,000 residents showed up to the most recent public meeting on the Lidcombe Local Environment Plan.
“If we have a community that does not want to speak out, then why should we hold the entire community accountable for the words of a few,” he said.
“Reducing the heights and FSRs in one of the largest town centres that we have on an East-West rail line is absolutely ludicrous,” he said.
