29 January 2016 reissued 5 February 2016

Director, Urban Renewal NSW Department of Planning & Environment GPO Box 39 NSW 2001

Online submission

Dear Sir,

Sydenham to Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy Submission – Campsie Centre – 14-28 Amy Street, Campsie

1 Introduction

The following submission has been prepared by Urbis Pty Ltd (Urbis) on behalf of the owners of the property identified as 14-28 Amy Street Campsie also known as the Campsie Centre (the site). The site is located towards the southern edge of the Campsie Town Centre, which is identified as being within the “Campsie Precinct” of the draft Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy (the draft strategy).

We would like to thank the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (the Department) for the opportunity to comment on the draft strategy. The purpose of this submission is to demonstrate overall support for the strategic planning framework and the opportunities for redevelopment and renewal identified within the draft strategy through increased density and height, particularly in relation to the Campsie Precinct. The draft strategy and background studies identify the strong demand for apartment dwellings within the Campsie Town Centre and the important role that the Town Centre plays in the Canterbury local government area and the inner west region of Sydney.

In this context, we are of the view that the indicative 9+ storey height for “high rise and mixed use” development generally and with respect to the site is too conservative. In this regard, we request that the Department give greater recognition to and facilitate the potential for taller buildings within the Campsie Precinct and on the site to enable development opportunities within the precinct to be better realised.

2 Purpose and Structure of Submission

This purpose of this submission is to demonstrate that development up to 16 storeys in height is an appropriate building height for the site and that this should be identified in the final Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy.

The structure of this submission is as follows:

. A description of the subject site and its location within the Campsie Town Centre.

. A summary of the existing key planning controls relevant to the site.

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. A discussion of the vision for the Bankstown to Sydenham Urban Renewal Corridor over the next 20 years and the opportunity to deliver increased development opportunity as an incentive for urban renewal within the Campsie Precinct.

. A discussion on why the increased building heights development opportunities on the site should be reflected in the final strategy.

3 Context and the Site

3.1 CONTEXT The site is located towards the southern edge of the Campsie Town Centre within the Canterbury local government area (LGA). It is also located within the Bankstown to Sydenham Urban Renewal Corridor, and the site is identified as being located within the “Campsie Precinct” under the draft strategy.

The Campsie Town Centre is the administrative and cultural centre of the Canterbury LGA. It is characterised by a main commercial street (Beamish Street) with small scale business premises and shop-top housing, a train station, the Campsie Centre located on the site, and several large areas of public open space and connecting spaces.

A number of civic, community and cultural spaces are located within or immediately adjacent to the Campsie precinct which is also well serviced by physical and community infrastructure. The following are found within a walkable distance of the site:

. To the north of the site are the and Campsie Station (a State heritage item) and the Canterbury Council administration building.

. Adjacent and to the north of the site is the Campsie RSL Club, the Campsie Salvation Army Headquarters, Salvation Army Community Welfare Centre and Campsie Centrelink office, Anzac Mall (a pedestrian retail mall off Beamish Street), and Anzac Park and Carrington Park (local heritage listed areas of public open space).

. To the north east are Campsie Primary School and St Mel’s Catholic Church and Primary School.

. To the south west is the Canterbury Hospital. To the east and south of the site are two medical centres.

. The Cooks River walkway is to the east and is to the west of the site with other pocket parks scattered within the precinct.

. Residential land within the precinct and adjacent to the site whilst generally characterised by low density residential dwellings is zoned a mix of R3 Medium Density Residential and R4 High Density Residential under Canterbury local environmental plan 2012 (CLEP 2012). Under the draft strategy the character of the adjoining residential neighbourhoods is likely to change in the future.

3.2 THE SITE

The site is located at Nos. 14-28 Amy Street Campsie and is also known as the Campsie Centre (refer to Figure 1). Located in the heart of Campsie, the Campsie Centre caters to customers living and working in Campsie, the surrounding suburbs and beyond. It caters for everyday shopping needs, has major anchor tenants and a series of smaller independent retailers and services including banks, Australia Post, a Growers Market and supermarket, and is supported by 600 undercover parking spaces.

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The development on site is comprised of the following:

. Four basement levels of car parking

. Lower ground level for retail and commercial uses and the Council Library

. Ground and first floor retail and commercial

The site has an area of 8,490sqm and has frontage to four streets, Amy Street, Amy Lane, Evaline Street and Rudd Parade. The site is highly accessible by public transport and is conveniently located from Campsie Railway Station, which is located on the connecting to the Sydney CBD. The site is also well positioned for access to major employment generators at Sydney CBD, Liverpool and Bankstown via public transport, and to existing and future employment opportunities within the Campsie Town Centre.

3.3 CURRENT PLANNING CONTROLS The site is currently zoned B2 Local Centre under the CLEP 2012.

There is no FSR control applicable and a maximum building height of 27 metres applies to the site. This could enable an 8 – 9 storey building comprised of ground level retail and shop top housing on site. These controls are mirrored on the retail premises to the south of the site with building heights stepping down to 18 metres for premises fronting the main shopping strip of Beamish Street.

FIGURE 1 – AERIAL IMAGE OF THE SITE (SOURCE: GOOGLE EARTH)

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4 Draft Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy

4.1 BACKGROUND Released in December 2014, A Plan for Growing Sydney recognises that urban renewal is essential to meet demand for new housing in Sydney and aims to accelerate urban renewal in transport corridors and areas close to major centres.

In June 2015, the NSW Government also announced the City and Southwest, a metro railway between Chatswood and Bankstown and a fully automated, high frequency, ‘turn and go’ rail service with metro trains running at least every four minutes in the peak, or 15 trains per hour in each direction. Importantly, the enhanced public transport network will provided a catalyst for new growth and development for centres along the corridor.

4.2 VISION With regard to the allocated building typologies and areas identified for uplift within the Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor, the vision for the corridor identified in the draft strategy over the next 20 years is to:

. Provide the opportunity for a mix of low, medium and high rise residential and mixed use developments located within an easy walking distance of the railway stations to allow more people to live close to good public transport.

. Retain the human scale of the main shopping streets, such as Beamish Street, to provide a focal point for retail activity, commerce and community interaction.

. Accommodate residential and mixed use development within 400m of the railway stations.

. Encourage local services, retail and convenience shops along the main shopping streets, in close proximity to the stations.

The draft strategy also aims to improve the overall supply of new housing within the corridor, as well as ensuring a choice of housing to meet the needs of a diverse community. The draft strategy identifies a total growth target of 36,000 new dwellings (the majority located within a 400 metre radius of railway stations) and 9,900 jobs by 2036.

4.3 CAMPSIE TOWN CENTRE The draft Campsie Precinct Land Use and Infrastructure Analysis identifies Campsie Town Centre as the largest commercial centre in the Canterbury LGA. It is also recognised as the civic and administrative hub for the surrounding area, and is split into two primary components by the railway line with the commercial strip running in a north-south direction along Beamish Street.

The Campsie Town Centre is currently a low scale two storey commercial/retail strip stretching north south along Beamish Street from the Campsie Railway Station. There are some sporadic 4-6 storey shop top housing/residential developments at the northern and southern ends of the town centre with an 8 storey development recently approved at 17-21 Campsie Street. The residential areas surrounding the commercial core generally consist of 2-3 storey walk up residential flat buildings and single detached houses on relatively large lots.

The Campsie Town Centre is a major hub for bus and rail interchange.

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With the subject site in mind, the key vision for the Campsie Precinct under the draft strategy is as follows:

. Built form  Retain the character of the lower scale buildings fronting Beamish Street with apartments above (up to 5 storeys) that are setback behind the building facades to maintain sunlight to the streets.

 Accommodate a mix of medium-high, high rise residential and mixed use developments generally within 400m of the railway station.

. Movement Network  Increase walking, cycling and public transport use within the precinct.

. Housing  Provide for more housing opportunities within 600m walking distance around Campsie Railway Station and along key routes into the precinct to allow more people to live close to good public transport and amenity.

. Jobs  Reinforce Beamish Street as a vibrant commercial centre.

 Extend the commercial area for a short distance along the secondary east-west roads that intersect Beamish Street.

4.4 THE VISION FOR THE CAMPSIE PRECINCT The draft Campsie Land Use and Infrastructure Plan illustrated in Figure 2 identifies that the site and land adjoining to the west fronting Amy Street is capable of accommodating “high rise and mixed use” development.

A strong market demand for new residential apartments has also been identified within the Campsie Precinct. Over the next 20 years, the Campsie Town Centre is expected to continue to be a major hub of retail and commercial activity within the urban renewal corridor, and the Campsie Precinct is projected to accommodate an additional 7,171 homes and an additional 1,908 jobs by 2036.

5 Consistency of the Proposal with the Draft Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy

Beamish Street has limited potential to generate significant redevelopment due to its fine grain/heritage character and fragmented land ownership pattern. Future growth and higher density is able to be accommodated behind Beamish Street in an east-west direction, especially in close proximity to the railway station. There are, however, very few large sites in single ownership such as the Campsie Centre within the town centre that currently provide a viable opportunity to increase residential densities and employment opportunities within the catchment Campsie Railway Station.

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FIGURE 2 - DRAFT CAMPSIE LAND USE AND INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN

The site

An opportunity to rejuvenate and revitalise the southern edge of the Campsie Town Centre will arise with the delivery of the Sydney Metro to Campsie. The draft strategy (Figure 2 above) recognises this opportunity and identifies opportunities within the town centre including:

. High levels of amenity – in terms of local retail, community facilities and public transport.

. A vibrant, low speed main street.

. Public open spaces within and adjacent to the Town Centre including Anzac and Carrington Squares and Anzac Mall.

. Large blocks adjacent to the main street – suitable for redevelopment.

. Potential for in-fill development in areas with older strata apartments.

. Strong market demand for new apartments within Campsie.

The site could, with an increase in development potential beyond that provided in development controls in operation today and proposed under the draft strategy, act as a catalyst for the renewal of the town centre and the delivery of residential apartments to compliment a revitalisation in the retail operations within the Campsie Centre. The site is located less than 400 metres of the Campsie Railway Station.

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The potential exists for site renewal and redevelopment to accommodate a mix of land uses including residential accommodation in the order of 200 residential apartments which could be comprised of a mix of shop top housing, residential flat buildings, seniors housing or serviced apartments.

Redevelopment of the Campsie Centre will also enable the renewal of the centre and the retention of commercial premises, retail premises, food and drink premises including restaurants, community facilities, and basement car parking. Development elements could include:

. Residential towers in the order of 13-16 storeys above the retail centre below addressing Amy Street and Evaline Street.

. Connections through to Beamish Street.

. Provision of appropriate distribution of height and density across the site to marry in with the future redevelopment of the residential areas to the west of the site and the lower scale built form fronting Beamish Street.

. Provision of a new laneway/pedestrian link on the eastern edge of the site between Amy and Evaline Streets as identified in the draft strategy to improve connectivity and permeability within the Town Centre.

. Improvements to the streetscape along Amy and Evaline Streets and renewal of the adjacent residential precinct.

. Delivery of community facilities and services within the revitalised centre.

. Provision of active street frontages to stimulate the precinct and provide passive surveillance to the surrounding streets.

The above development scope to deliver a range of residential accommodation opportunities which supports the long term vision for the Campsie Precinct as detailed in the draft strategy. It is important to recognise that the site:

. Is less than 400m from Campsie Railway Station and is identified under the draft strategy as an appropriate site to accommodate a mix of “high rise and mixed use” development;

. Can deliver additional housing and jobs through the renewal of the Campsie Centre, ongoing provision of the commercial and retail premises and community facilities within the centre in close proximity to numerous public transport options;

. Can be economically redeveloped where facilitated by the corridor strategy while retaining the diversity of uses across the site and deliver a genuine mixed use development;

. Is able to be developed sensitively so that it does not impact the “heritage” character of Beamish Street, which is characterised by ‘fine grain’, lower scale buildings yet acts as a catalyst for redevelopment within the town centre;

. Is located in close proximity to Campsie Railway Station and the opportunity to deliver increased permeability along the eastern edge of the site will encourage residents and visitors to use public transport and reduce the reliance on cars for many trips;

. Can integrate with adjoining properties to facilitate sustainable renewal in the Beamish Street corridor; and

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. Is able to achieve an appropriate interface between Beamish Street main street character and the future high rise and mixed use development to the west of the site.

The Campsie Centre site is a large site with a site area of 8,490sqm within easy walking distance of public transport (trains and buses). The site is also able to take advantage of a number of key development opportunities within the Campsie Precinct including a strong market demand for new apartments and high level of amenity in terms of close proximity to community facilities and medical infrastructure and open space. Redevelopment of the site for a significant mixed use development incorporating quality urban design will contribute to the overall supply of new housing and employment opportunities within the Campsie Town Centre and ensure a mix of housing is provided on site to meet the needs of the community

The redevelopment of the site as discussed above is consistent with the NSW Government’s visions for uplift in the Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor and similarly aligns with the vision for the Campsie Precinct over the next twenty years. An uplift in development opportunities as proposed in this submission will also deliver greater returns on the infrastructure investment proposed through the delivery of the Sydney Metro to and through the Campsie Precinct.

6 Conclusion

Redevelopment and renewal of the Campsie Centre will be facilitated by a planning framework that encourages development beyond that which is permitted today. The draft strategy mirrors the controls under the CLEP 2012 and will not provide the incentive for renewal anticipated in the vision for the Campsie Precinct.

Increased building height will provide an incentive for the renewal and redevelopment of the site. This renewal can deliver a superior built form outcome that responds to key priorities contained within the draft strategy including activation of the streetscape, improved permeability and pedestrian connections, increased housing choice and protection of the fine grain character of Beamish Street. It is considered that a 16 storeys built form is an appropriate maximum building height for the subject site.

Whilst we acknowledge that the draft strategy does not establish maximum heights for the part of the site identified for “high rise and mixed use” development. In our experience, figures such as “9 storeys +” can be interpreted as the maximum storey height, as opposed to the minimum or a guide. Consequently, we seek the Department’s support to identify 16 storeys as the appropriate maximum building height for the subject site in the final Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy.

We would welcome the opportunity to meet with the Department and present urban design concepts to support the proposed increase in development height. Should you wish to discuss any aspect pertaining to information contained within this submission, please contact me on (02) 8233 9900.

Yours sincerely,

Clare Brown Director

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