On Wednesday 13th September 2023 the Hornsby Shire Council voted to approve the following item:
On 14 June 2023, Council adopted the revised draft Westleigh Park Master Plan (MP) and draft Westleigh Park Plan of Management (PoM).
• Following adoption of the MP and PoM in June 2023, the immediate goal for Council’s Westleigh Park Redevelopment was to prepare a comprehensive and coordinated set of documents to submit with our Development Application.
- The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and supporting documentation is now developed to a stage that will enable lodgement of a Development Application by the end of the calendar year.
- The Development Application will seek assessment and determination from the appropriate planning authority for the entire scope of works identified in the adopted Master Plan over stages, with Stage 1 split further to accommodate the potential for differing delivery timeframes:
- Stage 1a: Southern sports platform; mountain bike trails; carparks 3 & 4; Sefton Road extension – west section; and shared way to Ruddock Park.
- Stage 1b: Sefton Road extension – North and east sections around Reservoir.
- Stage 2: Centre and northern sports platforms, carparks 1 & 2; and Warrigal Drive upgrades.
- Owners Consent is required to lodge a Development Application and given the public interest in the development of Westleigh Park this is sought via a formal resolution of Council.
- Should Owners Consent be resolved, instruction will be given to Council’s consultant planner to submit the Development Application on Council’s behalf via the online NSW Planning Portal. Once lodged, the assessment process will commence and be publicly exhibited.
The item was passed with only 2 Greens (Tania Salitra and Monika Ball) voting to oppose.
Hornsby Shire Council now has the dubious honour of approving the unauthorised building of mountain bike trails through large areas of critically endangered Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest and endangered Duffys Forest. This is very sad as the council in almost every other instance has sought to protect these precious areas.
This is a lost opportunity to alter the trajectory of another threatened ecological community. Political pressure has forced on the community a poor and ecologically ignorant decision.