Contents
PAGE
Planning & Compliance Report
PLAN 06 Revised draft Warwick Farm Racing Precinct Structure Plan, Planning Proposal and Contributions Plan................................................................................. 646...........
Contents
PAGE
Planning & Compliance Report
PLAN 06 Revised draft Warwick Farm Racing Precinct Structure Plan, Planning Proposal and Contributions Plan................................................................................. 646...........
646
Ordinary Meeting
29 September 2021
Planning & Compliance Report
|
PLAN 06 |
Revised draft Warwick Farm Racing Precinct Structure Plan, Planning Proposal and Contributions Plan |
|
Strategic Direction |
Strengthening and Protecting our Environment Exercise planning controls to create high-quality, inclusive urban environments |
|
File Ref |
285643.2021 |
|
Report By |
Cameron Jewell - Senior Strategic Planner |
|
Approved By |
David Smith - Acting Director Planning & Compliance |
Executive Summary
At its meeting of 28 April 2021, Council resolved (EGROW 04) to appoint a consultant to refine the draft Warwick Farm Racing Precinct Structure Plan, draft planning proposal and draft contributions plan (the planning package), and to receive a further report on the revised planning package following refinement of the plans.
Conybeare Morrison International was reappointed to:
· Respond to feedback received during public exhibition of the draft plans;
· Incorporate the outcomes of regional transport, flood, and open space studies;
· Respond to the outcomes of feasibility testing;
· Incorporate the 240 Governor Macquarie Drive site into the draft planning proposal and structure plan, considering the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s (DPIE) Gateway refusal and feedback received from public exhibition; and
· Conduct a detailed flood impact assessment to better understand land needed for flood mitigation and potential flood mitigation options.
This report provides a summary of changes made to the draft planning package, which includes:
· An increase in development potential, including increased height of building (HOB) and floor space ratio (FSR) development standards, with potential residential development increasing from 2,295 dwellings to 3,224 dwellings;
· A reduction in the RE1 Public Recreation zone and the B4 Mixed Use zone and an increase in the R4 High Density Residential zone to improve development feasibility;
· A reconfiguration of dwelling density across the precinct following the incorporation of the 240 Governor Macquarie Drive site;
· A revised feasibility assessment showing an improvement in development feasibility across the precinct;
· A revised contributions plan, with reduced rates;
· A detailed flood impact assessment; and
· A high-level staging and sequencing plan.
Following advice from DPIE on planning proposals within the Liverpool Collaboration Area and surrounds, any revised plans will need to consider the result of the regional flood evacuation study currently underway. It is expected that this report will be finalised in late October 2021.
The revised planning package has responded broadly to community and agency feedback and it is recommended that the revised draft planning package be endorsed by Council for public exhibition to enable community feedback on the revised planning package. If further changes are required to respond to the regional flood evacuation study and feedback received during public exhibition, this can be undertaken prior to the final planning package being reported to Council for a decision on whether to forward the planning proposal to DPIE requesting a Gateway determination.
That Council:
1. Endorses the revised draft structure plan, planning proposal and local contributions plan for public exhibition for 28 days; and
2. Receives a further report following public exhibition of the revised planning package and the finalisation of the regional flood evacuation study for a decision on whether to forward the planning proposal to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment for a Gateway determination.
REPORT
Background
At its meeting of 11 December 2019 (EGROW 02), Council resolved to develop a structure plan and planning proposal for the Warwick Farm Racing Precinct addressing the following:
· The appropriate density of development in the precinct, including built form; and
· Building typologies including height and floor space ratio development standards;
· the open space, community and recreation facilities to support urban renewal;
· likely traffic and transport upgrades;
· amenity issues;
· flooding considerations; and
· development contributions.
Conybeare Morrison International (CM+) was appointed to prepare a structure plan, planning proposal and amendments to the Liverpool Contributions Plan 2009 in line with Council’s resolution.
The draft planning proposal was presented to the Liverpool Local Planning Panel (LPP) on 27 July 2020. The Panel did not support the planning proposal proceeding to a Gateway determination, advising that the following matters needed to be addressed:
1. Updating of the Flooding Assessment to have regard to the 2020 Georges River Flood Study (BMT, January 2020) and its implications for this site;
2. Preparation of a development feasibility study having regard to the need for consolidation of fragmented sites, flood mitigation works, open space acquisition, the truck bypass route, pedestrian links across the railway and the proposed development yield;
3. A report addressing whether, given the cap of 18,800 additional dwellings for Liverpool Collaboration Area Place Strategy, this site is the optimum location for the provision of additional housing given the constraints of the site including flooding and difficulty of evacuation; and
4. Further analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the proposed truck bypass route and the changes to ground levels for flood mitigation having regard to vegetation, acid sulphate soils and water table level.
At its ordinary meeting of 26 August 2020 (EGROW 01), Council resolved:
That Council:
1. Notes the advice of the Liverpool Local Planning Panel;
2. Notes that a feasibility study will be completed as recommended by the Liverpool Local Planning Panel;
3. Places the draft structure plan, planning proposal and local contributions plan on public exhibition, pursuant to the Liverpool Community Participation Plan 2019 for 28 days; and
4. Receives a further report, following public exhibition, detailing any submissions received and any amendments proposed to the structure plan, planning proposal and/or local contributions plan.
The draft structure plan, planning proposal and contributions plan were placed on initial public exhibition between 14 September 2020 - 12 October 2020. An online community forum was also held. The documents were forwarded to DPIE, the Greater Sydney Commission (GSC), Transport for NSW (TfNSW) and Sydney Water for feedback.
A further report was presented to Council at its 28 April 2021 meeting (EGROW 04) summarising submissions received during public exhibition. Based on community feedback, the refusal of DPIE to issue a Gateway determination for the 240 Governor Macquarie Drive planning proposal, and results of feasibility testing, it was recommended that a refinement of the planning package be undertaken to respond to submissions made during public exhibition, and to improve feasibility and affordability of development within the Precinct.
Council subsequently resolved:
That Council:
1. Receives and notes this report;
2. Notes that appropriate funds will need to be allocated and delegates the necessary funds in the current financial year to refine the draft structure plan, draft planning proposal and draft contributions plan for the Warwick Farm Racing precinct, to:
a. Respond to feedback received during public exhibition of the draft plans;
b. Incorporate the outcomes of regional transport, flood, and open space studies;
c. Respond to the outcomes of feasibility testing;
d. Incorporate the 240 Governor Macquarie Drive site into the draft planning proposal and structure plan, considering DPIE’s Gateway refusal and feedback received from public exhibition; and
e. Conduct a detailed flood impact assessment to better understand land needed for flood mitigation and potential flood mitigation options.
3. Receives a further report on the draft structure plan, draft planning proposal and draft contributions plan for the Warwick Farm racing precinct following the refinement of the plans.
4. Notes the importance of this piece of work including the existing safety issues being experienced by horse trainers in the precinct.
Refined plans
The revised structure plan (report provided at Attachment 1) is outlined in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1: Revised Warwick Farm racing precinct structure plan. Source: Conybeare Morrison International
This compares to the previous iteration of the structure plan, which can be seen in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Draft Warwick Farm racing precinct structure plan. NB: 240 Governor Macquarie Drive, located the top of the picture, was not included in land subject to the planning proposal, as it had been subject to a separate planning proposal. Source: Conybeare Morrison International
Key changes made to the draft structure plan are:
Open space
The quantum of open space has been reduced following community feedback and based on the results of a draft Open Space Needs Analysis conducted for the Liverpool Collaboration Area (Attachment 2).
Council’s endorsed Recreation, Open Space and Sports Strategy indicates planning for open space is typically based on 2.83 hectares of open space being provided per 1000 residents. The draft Liverpool Collaboration Area Open Space Needs Analysis indicates that Council should target a baseline provision of 1.5 hectares per 1000 residents in the Collaboration Area, considering that it is a highly populated urban area, which includes the Liverpool City Centre, but also considering the historic deficiency in accessible open space.
The open space provided in the revised structure plan is 92,208m2 (reduced from 97,759m2) which represents 32% of the precinct area (including Rosedale Oval). This equates to 1.25 hectares of open space per 1000 people, or 12.5m2 per person. This figure is reduced from 2 hectares per 1000 people in the original draft structure plan.
While the open space rate does not strictly meet the new open space guidelines in the draft Liverpool Collaboration Area Open Space Needs Analysis, it is considered an appropriate quantum given the site constraints and challenges with development feasibility in this area.
A reduced open space rate is also considered appropriate when considering future plans to provide public access to Sydney Water’s Horseshoe Lagoon and the nearby river foreshore, as expressed in the Liverpool Collaboration Area Place Strategy and the Liverpool Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS), as well as the proposed bridge connection to the open space proposed for the Moore Point development. This will provide further open space and recreation opportunities to the precinct’s future residents.
It should be noted that the calculated open space rate does not include nearby Hart Park, to which a walkway is proposed as included in the draft contributions plan. Adding this to the calculations would increase the open space rate to 13.38m2 per person.
The open space provided also serves the dual purpose of providing compensatory
flood storage. The areas of open space proposed for flood water retention are
indicated in Figure 3 below.
Figure 3: Proposed open space areas, including those indicated for flood water retention bounded in purple. Source: Conybeare Morrison International
Reducing the area of open space has resulted in the depth of cut in the proposed open space areas (for compensatory flood storage) being increased from 1.5 metres below street level in the exhibited draft structure plan (RL 6.5 AHD) to between 2.0-2.1 metres below street level in the revised structure plan (RL 5.9-6.0 AHD). This ensures a balanced cut and fill outcome, as required by Council policy. This depth of cut requires further treatment to ensure practicality of use and safety of users and can be addressed satisfactorily during detailed design.
A slope of 1 (vertical) to 4 (horizontal) at the edge of the open space areas used for compensatory flood storage has been included in the flood impact assessment to facilitate edge transitions and ensure safe access and egress to/from the open space. At the detailed design stage, inclusions such as boundary walls, warning signs and fencing will need to be investigated to promote safety and ensure an appropriate cut/fill balance, as discussed below under ‘flood impact assessment’.
Only the open space required for compensatory flood storage is proposed to be zoned RE1 and acquired by Council, with the open space in the north of the precinct proposed to be held in private ownership with public access arrangements. This is further discussed in the ‘Zoning’ section of this report.
Figure 4 below shows the land that would need to be acquired by Council to provide open space and compensatory flood storage to allow development in the precinct above the 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) + 0.5m freeboard. It is proposed to acquire the open space in a staged manner, which is further discussed in the ‘Staging and sequencing’ part of this report.
Figure 4: Land acquisition map showing land to be zoned RE1 Public Recreation to be acquired by Council. Source: Conybeare Morrison International
Flood impact assessment
A detailed flood impact assessment was conducted through a TUFLOW hydraulic model for the precinct (Attachment 3) to determine the change in 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) flood level with the precinct fully developed.
The flood impact assessment indicates that the proposal provides a suitable cut/fill balance at the 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) flood level of 8.5m Australian Height Datum (AHD), at 99.93% balanced. Considering the structure plan is a high-level strategy, it is considered that the 0.07% variation is within the acceptable tolerance level. The revised structure plan indicates there is capability to balance cut and fill at the detailed design stage.
As the open space areas used for compensatory flood storage need to be at least 2m below street level, there are several design elements that will be introduced at the detailed design stage to ensure safety and useability of the open spaces. These include:
· Design solutions such as fencing and warning signs to minimise the risk to users of the open space areas during flood and prevention of objects being drawn into the area by flood waters;
· Adequately distributed drainage systems to ensure effective draining and minimise blockages and the risk of people being drawn in; and
· Design of outlets to have non-return valves.
There are high-quality examples within Greater Sydney of parks that have the dual purpose of being flood detention basins in a flood event. Some of these are provided on Page 40 of the revised structure plan (Attachment 1).
240 Governor Macquarie Drive
The exhibited draft structure plan included the development standards and zoning as set out in a planning proposal endorsed by Council for the 240 Governor Macquarie Drive site. This was done as the planning proposal for this site was endorsed by Council prior to the draft structure plan being prepared and was in the process of being considered by DPIE for a Gateway determination. On 22 September 2020, during the exhibition period of the draft structure plan, Council received confirmation that the planning proposal for 240 Governor Macquarie Drive had been formally refused a Gateway determination by DPIE.
Council at its meeting of 28 April 2021 resolved that the consultant, in revising the planning package, was to “incorporate the 240 Governor Macquarie Drive site into the draft planning proposal and structure plan, considering DPIEs Gateway refusal and feedback received from public exhibition”. The revised planning proposal (Attachment 4) now includes 240 Governor Macquarie Drive.
In considering the Gateway refusal and community feedback (further discussed below), the consultant team have reconfigured the structure plan to distribute density more equitably across the entire precinct, and ensure that SEPP 65 considerations, including minimum sunlight provision, can be achieved for neighbouring development. It has also included four local parks within the 240 Governor Macquarie Drive site, which are to be held in private ownership but be publicly accessible.
Zoning
The zoning that was proposed in the exhibited version of the draft planning proposal is outlined in Figure 5 below.
Figure 5: Zoning in the exhibited Warwick Farm Racing Precinct structure plan and planning proposal. Source: Conybeare Morrison International
The zoning now proposed is outlined in Figure 6 below.
Figure 6: Zoning proposed in revised Warwick Farm Racing Precinct structure plan and planning proposal. Source: Conybeare Morrison International
The key changes are a reduction in the extend of both the B4 Mixed Use and RE1 Public Recreation zones, and an associated increase in the R4 High Density Residential zone, to respond to the outcomes of feasibility testing and concerns raised during public exhibition.
While the updated structure plan has removed the linear park from the structure plan, it is proposed that five smaller, publicly accessible but privately owned parks, would be provided – four on the 240 Governor Macquarie Drive site, and one on a site impacted by Sydney Water’s odour contour (see Figure 3).
The urban design investigations undertaken by CM+ confirm that the publicly accessible private open space would be similar to the size needed to achieve building separation requirements under the Apartment Design Guide. In this regard, there is no disbenefit to incorporating these areas on site in terms of development potential. A Development Control Plan (DCP) would need to be prepared post-Gateway to include provisions for these areas to be provided as part of a future development application, and to be publicly accessible. The DCP would stipulate that these areas could be used in the calculation of “landscaped area” and “deep soil landscaping” to ensure there is no impediment at the DA assessment stage.
Development standards (FSR and Height of Buildings) and development potential
The FSR proposed in the exhibited plans equated to 0.82:1 across the entire site, with the 240 Governor Macquarie Drive planning proposal seeking an FSR of 3:1 and the rest of the precinct averaging 0.56:1.
The FSR in the revised plans equates to 1.04:1 across the entire site, ranging from 3.35:1 to 2.20:1 on developable land, as shown in Figure 7 below.
Figure 7: Proposed FSR map. Source: Conybeare Morrison International
Height of buildings in the exhibited plans ranged from four storeys to 15 storeys. The revised heights of buildings range from six storeys to 15 storeys (Figure 8 and 9). As previously mentioned, density on the 240 Governor Macquarie Drive site has been redistributed across the precinct more equitably.
Figure 8: Proposed height of buildings (storeys). Source: Conybeare Morrison International
Figure 9: Proposed height of buildings controls (metres). Source: Conybeare Morrison International
Development capacity has increased from 2,295 dwellings to 3,224 dwellings (based on an average GFA of 85m2 per dwelling). The increase in dwellings aligns with Council’s LSPS and Local Housing Strategy by focusing growth close to centres and public transport. The increase will assist Council in meeting its 6–10-year housing target of 8,500-12,000 additional dwellings, as set out in the Local Housing Strategy.
The increase in development yield falls within the 3,500 dwelling growth figure that has been modelled for the Warwick Farm Racing Precinct as part of a Strategic Transport Infrastructure Assessment for the Liverpool Collaboration Area, which assesses regional transport infrastructure necessary to support growth in the Collaboration Area to 2036, and out to 2056. The structure plan and planning proposal would not hamper the provision of any regional infrastructure identified in the infrastructure assessment.
Total GFA now equals 291,162m2, which includes 274,053m2 of residential GFA and 20,109m2 of commercial GFA. This is increased from 231,843m2 of total GFA in the exhibited plans, which included 206,835m2 or residential GFA and 25,008m2 of commercial GFA. The commercial GFA has decreased based on the results and recommendations of feasibility testing.
An indicative building envelope diagram is provided in Figure 10 below.
Figure 10: Indicative building envelope diagram. Source: Conybeare Morrison International
The increase in development yield is expected to increase total vehicle trips in the AM period by 120 trips (12% increase) and reduce the PM peak by about 40 trips (4% decrease), according to advice provided by SCT Consultants (Attachment 5). The reduction in the PM peak is due to a decrease in employment yield, particularly trips generated by retail. Notwithstanding the overall increase in vehicle trips, no additional road infrastructure upgrades above what was already proposed in the exhibited plans are considered necessary.
Key transport infrastructure items that would be funded as part of the draft local contributions plan include:
· The bypass road from Priddle/Stroud Street to Shore Street/Governor Macquarie Road;
· Upgrades to key local roads to bring them above the flood planning level and ensure viable evacuation routes;
· Widening of Shore Street and Governor Macquarie Drive; and
· Intersection upgrades at Hume Highway and Governor Macquarie Drive, Priddle Street and Shore Street, Shore Street and Governor Macquarie Drive, and Munday Street and Governor Macquarie Drive.
Feasibility
Council engaged Atlas Urban Economics (Atlas) to test the economic feasibility of three nominated sites within the precinct (from the exhibited plans) as recommended by the LPP and as resolved by Council. The feasibility testing identified that the planning controls as exhibited for the three nominated sites were not feasible.
Key reasons included:
· the relatively high cost of land due to the value of existing uses;
· the relatively high non-residential Gross Floor Area (GFA) required; and
· section 7.11 contribution rates for flood mitigation and local infrastructure works.
Atlas indicated that some parameters could be changed to improve feasibility. This included:
· reducing section 7.11 contributions;
· floorspace transfer mechanisms for land required for infrastructure; and
· focusing non-residential GFA along active street edges in and around the train station.
An iterative approach was adopted in developing the revised Structure Plan to improve feasibility, based on the feasibility testing recommendations. Additional economic feasibility testing (Attachment 6) of three typical blocks was conducted to ensure the proposed planning controls would be feasible. The testing indicated minimum FSRs required for feasible development of the tested sites, assuming the revised s7.11 contribution rates (Attachment 7) as well as if a s7.11 contribution cap of $20,000 per dwelling were imposed (see Table 1).
|
Site (Address) |
Site Area (sqm) |
Min. FSR (at draft s7.11 rates) |
Min. FSR (at $20,000/ dwelling rates) |
|
Site 4 (14, 16, 18 Munday St) |
5,559 |
FSR 2.9:1 |
FSR 2.5:1 |
|
Site 12 (10 Stroud Ave) |
4,178 |
FSR 2.0:1 |
FSR 1.6:1 |
|
Site 14+15 (240 Governor Macquarie Dr) |
8,008 |
FSR 1.9:1 |
FSR 1.7:1 |
Table 1: Minimum FSRs required for development to be feasible on three tested sites. Source: Atlas Economics and Planning
The results of feasibility testing have resulted in the selection of FSRs of 3.35:1 for the B4 Mixed Use zone and 2.2:1 for R4 High Density Residential zone, maximising feasibility across the precinct while ensuring urban design considerations, such as appropriate open space provision, are addressed. The economic feasibility testing did not test every single block within the precinct. Instead, the findings regarding typical blocks have been extrapolated to the larger precinct by the consultant team.
Regarding local infrastructure contributions, rates have reduced in this iteration of the planning package, helping to improve feasibility. The former contribution rates are outlined in Table 2.
|
Infrastructure Item |
Per 1b dwelling |
Per 2b dwelling |
Per 3b+ dwelling |
Per sqm non-residential GFA |
|
Community facilities |
$1,616 |
$2,065 |
$2,784 |
- |
|
Open space and recreation facilities |
$23,101 |
$29,518 |
$39,785 |
- |
|
Roads and active transport facilities |
$10,341 |
$13,214 |
$17,810 |
$1,151 |
|
Drainage facilities |
$1,038 |
$1,326 |
$1,788 |
$14 |
|
Plan administration and management |
$217 |
$278 |
$375 |
$15 |
|
Total |
$36,314 |
$46,402 |
$62,541 |
$1,180 |
Table 2: Exhibited local contribution rates. Source: GLN Planning
The revised contribution rates are outlined in Table 3. These have reduced due to the increase in development yield and the reduction of land required for open space. While the rates have reduced, they are still relatively high due to the constraints of the site, in particular the costs associated with making flood liable land suitable for development, such as the acquisition of land for flood storage and the raising of roads to the flood planning level.
|
Infrastructure Item |
Per 1b dwelling |
Per 2b dwelling |
Per 3b+ dwelling |
Per sqm non-residential GFA |
|
Community facilities |
$1,135 |
$1,450 |
$1,954 |
- |
|
Open space and recreation facilities |
$14,579 |
$18,629 |
$25,108 |
- |
|
Roads and active transport facilities |
$9,573 |
$12,233 |
$16,488 |
$1,109 |
|
Drainage facilities |
$639 |
$816 |
$1,100 |
$9 |
|
Plan administration and management |
$183 |
$233 |
$314 |
$14 |
|
Total |
$26,109 |
$33,361 |
$44,965 |
$1,132 |
Table 3: Revised local contributions plan rates. Source: GLN Planning
The draft s7.11 contribution rates are also higher than contributions required in other non-greenfield areas, being greater than the $20,000 contributions cap. These ‘higher than usual’ development contributions have implications for development feasibility of sites in Warwick Farm. Contributions can be levied higher than the $20,000 contributions cap however the contributions plan would need to be submitted to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for review and approval to levy an amount greater than $20,000 per dwelling.
The feasibility testing also estimated necessary FSRs required if contributions plans were limited to levying $20,000 per dwelling. However, if this limit were imposed then other sources of funding would be required to provide the necessary infrastructure to support development.
It should be noted that, as is typically the case with redevelopment of established areas, not all sites will be feasible for redevelopment, such as properties that have recently implemented capital-intensive improvements. The redevelopment of the precinct in stages, however, may act as a catalyst to encourage subsequent development on currently less feasible sites.
Staging and sequencing
The consultant was asked to provide further detail on how the redevelopment of the precinct could be realised in practice, as to provide a flood evacuation route in major flood events, it will be necessary to raise roads. Compensatory flood storage also needs to be provided within nominated open space areas, on land that must be acquired by Council.
The raising of the roads is included in the local contributions plan as each development site will need to complete full road construction. This will need to occur in a staged manner in a sequence from north to south to provide a continuous evacuation route using the raised roads rising to the Warwick Street and Hume Highway intersection.
A proposed high-level staging plan is outlined in Figure 11 below.
Figure 11: Proposed staging plan. Source: Conybeare Morrison International
The staging plan has been developed to minimise interface issues by including whole sections of raised road within the stage. It is proposed that the numbered area of open space would be acquired by Council to offset the fill required as the corresponding development stage progresses. If developed as a full stage, the contributions generated by development would be sufficient to fund the acquisition and embellishment of the open space allocated at each stage. In this regard, the LEP, DCP and Contributions Plan will identify the need to consolidate all parcels in a stage before development can proceed, as identified in Figure 11 above, unless other arrangements suitable to Council are approved.
The revised planning proposal includes a new site-specific clause and amendments to the Key Sites Map that would require that development occur in stages nominated on the map only if the development application:
· is lodged for all land comprising each development stage labelled DS1, DS2, and then DS3 as nominated within Warwick Farm Precinct; and
· includes compensatory flood storage of the corresponding open space areas labelled OS1, OS2 and OS3 within zone RE1 Public Recreation within the Warwick Farm Precinct; and
· includes the raising of streets within the stage to ensure all development can access a continuous flood evacuation route above the PMF.
Response to public exhibition submissions
Council received 20 submissions from the public (including a submission from the Australian Turf Club (ATC), the owner of the Warwick Farm racecourse and other land within the Warwick Farm Racing Precinct) and from one submitter that provided three separate responses. Submissions were also received from Sydney Water and TfNSW.
Most submissions supported rezoning the precinct for high-density residential uses, however many raised concerns with various aspects of the draft structure plan as exhibited.
The key issues raised during public exhibition were presented to Council at the 28 April 2021 Council meeting (EGROW 04). The consultant team were requested to respond to community feedback in revising the planning package.
Table 4 below summarises how community feedback was considered in the revised planning proposal.
|
Summary of issues raised |
Responses |
|
Topic 1 – Flooding |
|
|
Flooding is no longer an issue for the precinct. |
The precinct is constrained by flooding, as indicated in the detailed flood impact assessment. The Structure Plan needs to consider two key issues related to flooding: one is the evacuation of residents during a flood event; the other is the need to ensure the new development proposed will not result in a net loss of flood storage within the site, at the 1% AEP event, namely RL 8.5m AHD. Refer to Warwick Farm Flooding Assessment Report by WMA Water for further information (Attachment 3).
|
|
Land should be found elsewhere to compensate for the loss of flood storage. |
There is no suitable land elsewhere for compensatory flood storage and therefore the compensatory storage is proposed to be located within the Warwick Farm Precinct. Refer to relevant Council policies and Warwick Farm Flooding Assessment Report by WMA Water.
|
|
Topic 2 – Odour buffer zone |
|
|
The odour buffer zone should be ignored. |
Ignoring the odour buffer would likely result in DPIE refusing a Gateway determination, and the rezoning proposal would not proceed. Council has been liaising with Sydney Water regarding their plan to upgrade the Sydney Water treatment plant. However, no updated information has been provided to Council at this time. Therefore, the revised Structure Plan adopts the odour contour information as expressed in Council’s Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS) and considers relevant guidelines regarding residential development within the 2OU contour. |
|
Warwick Farm sewage treatment facility would inevitably be upgraded therefore would reduce the odour buffer over time. |
|
|
Sydney Water objects to the original structure plan as there is development shown within the confines of the current odour contour area. |
The revised Structure Plan has removed all the proposed residential development within the current odour contour area as requested. |
|
Topic 3 – Open space |
|
|
The quantum of open space provided is too high. |
The quantum of open spaces proposed was to comply with the open space benchmark contained within Council’s ROSS for the future population and to provide for compensatory flood storage. The revised Structure Plan reduces the amount of the proposed open space, reflecting the draft Liverpool Collaboration Area Open Space Needs Analysis and floodplain displacement modelling. |
|
The proposed open space is not evenly distributed and concentrated in the vicinity of the least-dense residential areas. |
The larger open space areas have been located to facilitate flood storage and as a response to the need to avoid development within the odour contour area of the Sydney Water treatment plant. The revised Structure Plan provides a more useable approach to the configuration of the smaller local open spaces throughout the precinct. |
|
Topic 4 – Feasibility |
|
|
The proposed development standards are not high enough to encourage redevelopment |
The revised plans have reviewed and considered the previous economic feasibility study for the exhibited Structure Plan. An iterative approach has been adopted in developing the revised Structure Plan. Economic feasibility testing (Attachment 6) of three typical blocks was conducted to ensure that the proposed planning controls are feasible. Increased development potential will improve feasibility and provide further incentive to redevelop. |
|
It is unclear how future development can practicably proceed. |
An indicative staging plan has been provided as part of the revised planning package. |
|
Topic 5 – Traffic |
|
|
An increase in traffic congestion would occur from increased density within the area. |
The revised Structure Plan has considered the potential traffic impact. No major concern is identified. SCT Consulting has provided high-level commentary against the revised Structure Plan (Attachment 5). |
|
Topic 6 – 240 Governor Macquarie Drive |
|
|
The redevelopment of the site is supported. |
Noted. |
|
The proposed built form impacts on other development in terms of SEPP 65 compliance and the distribution of dwellings in the precinct is unequitable. |
The revised Structure Plan has reconsidered the configuration of development potential on 240 Governor Macquarie Drive and its relationship with the rest of the precinct. The proposed building envelopes and heights have been revised to reflect the overarching Urban Design vision and principles for the precinct, and now provide a more contextual fit. |
|
Employment uses are preferred to be located on this site. |
Employment uses (non-residential uses) are proposed on part of the land close to Warwick Farm Station, including at 240 Governor Macquarie Drive. |
Table 4: Summary of responses to submissions made on the exhibited planning package.
Conclusion
The revised planning package has responded broadly to community and agency feedback and it is recommended that the revised draft planning package be endorsed by Council for public exhibition to enable community feedback on the revised planning package. If further changes are required to respond to the regional flood evacuation study and feedback received during public exhibition, this can be undertaken prior to the final planning package being reported to Council for a decision on whether to forward the planning proposal to DPIE requesting a Gateway determination.
CONSIDERATIONS
|
Economic |
Deliver and maintain a range of transport related infrastructure such as footpaths, bus shelters and bikeways. Deliver a high quality local road system including provision and maintenance of infrastructure and management of traffic issues. Facilitate economic development. |
|
Environment |
Promote an integrated and user friendly public transport service. Support the delivery of a range of transport options. |
Social |
Regulate for a mix of housing types that responds to different population groups such as young families and older people. |
Civic Leadership |
There are no civic leadership and governance considerations. |
|
Legislative |
Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. |
|
Risk |
The risk is deemed to be Low. The risk is considered within Council’s risk appetite. |
ATTACHMENTS
1. Revised Draft Structure Plan
2. Draft Liverpool Collaboration Area Open Space Needs Analysis
|
646 |
|
|
PLAN 06 |
Revised draft Warwick Farm Racing Precinct Structure Plan, Planning Proposal and Contributions Plan |
|
Attachment 1 |
Revised Draft Structure Plan |
|
PLAN 06 |
Revised draft Warwick Farm Racing Precinct Structure Plan, Planning Proposal and Contributions Plan |
|
Attachment 2 |
Draft Liverpool Collaboration Area Open Space Needs Analysis |
|
PLAN 06 |
Revised draft Warwick Farm Racing Precinct Structure Plan, Planning Proposal and Contributions Plan |
|
Attachment 3 |
Flood Assessment Report |
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PLAN 06 |
Revised draft Warwick Farm Racing Precinct Structure Plan, Planning Proposal and Contributions Plan |
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Attachment 4 |
Draft Planning Proposal |
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PLAN 06 |
Revised draft Warwick Farm Racing Precinct Structure Plan, Planning Proposal and Contributions Plan |
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Attachment 5 |
SCT Traffic Advice Summary |
|
PLAN 06 |
Revised draft Warwick Farm Racing Precinct Structure Plan, Planning Proposal and Contributions Plan |
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Attachment 6 |
Economic Feasibility Testing |
