USYD Camperdown-Darlington Campus Improvement Program

Dear Mr McManus,

I am a resident of Darlington and I have been granted an extension until 31 March 2014 to make a submission in regard to the above State Significant Development (SSD) application.

I object to the above development application for the following reasons –

No Community Consultation

I object to the University NOT consulting with the local community and failing to comply with the following Director General's requirement - "During the preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), consultation must be undertaken with community groups and affected landowners.

Height, Scale and Location of Buildings

I object to this massive building program which would increase floor space by a massive 68% from 555,600m2 to 937,800m2 with building heights of up to 19 storeys.

The height and bulk of the proposed buildings are too great for the low rise heritage conservation residential precinct in which the University sits.

I object to the proposed 3 storey building in Shepherd Street and the “multidisciplinary building” opposite the Sports Centre both of which will overlook residents homes in Shepherd Street, Calder Road, Lander Street, Boundary Street and Abercrombie Street.

The University should be required to create green buffer zones between its buildings and residential buildings.

Separate Development Applications

I object to all new buildings and any refurbishments of existing buildings within the Campus Improvement Program (CIP) being approved under this one SSD.

Each new building or refurbishment of an existing building should be subject to individual development applications so that the dimensions, scale and use of each building is specified and conditions are imposed upon approval.

All new buildings should be set back from the street and located well within the University boundaries.

Heritage

I object to the University's proposal to completely infill the backyards of every heritage listed terrace house (bar 3) from 86 - 130 Darlington Road with 3 storey extensions.

The National Trust has given these terraces an "A" rating - "highly intact". The University should not be allowed to degrade the heritage value of these terraces which are very close to the Golden Grove Conservation Area.

Noise

I object to the potential increase in noise from plant equipment such as large 24/7 air conditioners and cooling towers on proposed University buildings close to residents' homes.

The University should establish the cumulative noise impact of ALL of its existing buildings before permission is given for further developments to proceed. The University should demonstrate that the cumulative noise impact of all of its buildings complies with environmental legislation before permission for further developments is given.

Substantial green buffer zones should be created between new university buildings and residents to help reduce the impact of noise.

Infrastructure

I object to increasing the student population from 49,500 to 60,000 by 2020 because the local infrastructure cannot even cope with the existing number of people coming into the area as it is. The plan should be withdrawn until local infrastructure, including footpaths and access to Redfern Station, are improved to cope with the increased population.

Vegetation

I object to the destruction of the Darlington Eucalypt Grove in Shepherd Street and replacing it with a 3 storey building overlooking residents' houses. This is one of the only remaining open spaces on the edge of the Darlington campus and should be retained to provide a green buffer zone between the University and the adjoining residential area.

The University's Ecological Assessment recommends: "Avoid removal of mature trees and protection of trees in proximity to building/refurbishment sites."

Traffic and Parking

I object to the introduction of large car parks on the Darlington campus. With the projected huge increase in the University population coming to the Darlington campus to use these car parks will come the associated problem of traffic congestion on residential streets. The University has not addressed this problem at all.

University staff and students unable or unwilling to use these car parks will end up competing for parking on residential streets in Darlington. It will mean that residents' parking is severely reduced and will also compound the traffic congestion in the area.

I object to the University removing the ability of students and staff to drive through the campus. University traffic should be arriving at and departing from the campus via the main arterial roads such as City Road and Parramatta Road not via the residential streets of Darlington.

The University should be required to encourage short term parking on the larger Camperdown campus not on the Darlington campus.

Currently, University staff and students are taking up much of the parking on residential streets. Residents, and especially elderly residents, should be able to park within reasonable walking distance from their homes.

I object to Butlin Avenue becoming a shared zone between traffic and pedestrians. It is one of the main roads in and out of Darlington for vehicles. As a shared zone it would create an unsafe environment for pedestrians and drivers alike.

Service Centres

I object to the proposed Service Centre on Shepherd Street as it will bring heavy, loud vehicles onto a residential street. As it will be positioned on the narrowest part of this street, it will also create a dangerous traffic hazard.

A more appropriate location for the Service Centre would be near the intersection of Shepherd and Cleveland Streets. This would mean the heavy service vehicles could enter and exit from the main arterial road of Cleveland Street and would therefore be kept off residential streets.

I object to many aspects of this SSD application.

As a resident of Darlington I have not been given nearly enough time to study and comprehend such a huge and complex document as the CIP.

The University should consult properly with the community specifically in regard to the CIP as they were required to do by the Director General. I look forward to proper consultation with the University prior to this application being approved. During this consultation process residents' views should be listened to and acted on appropriately by the University.

This huge and massive development program will have a major effect on myself, my family and the Darlington community. It is not something which I as a resident of Darlington take lightly.

Yours faithfully,

Robert Viller

Dear Mr McManus

Further to my previous emails I would like to make the following comments:

Transport and Access

It seems to me that the issues of transport and access have not been addressed. I quote from the University website:

TRANSPORT AND MOBILITY
The University is currently developing a Sustainable Transport and Mobility Plan (STAMP) to encourage the use of public transport by students, staff and visitors.

The STAMP initially focuses on the Camperdown and congestion and avoid conflicts amongst pedestrians, cyclists, and people using wheelchairs and mobility aids

· better manage car parking demand;

· provide socially equitable strategies to address specific car parking, transport and mobility of people with special requirements

· provide accessible, affordable and quality cycling infrastructure for students and staff

· improve connections to the City's bicycle and public transport networks

· reduce single occupancy car trips

· reduce vehicle carbon emissions associated with travelling to and from campus.

This seems to be an optimistic statement of what they would like to achieve. There doesn't seem to be an effective plan in place for these problems.

The access to the University from Redfern Station is already congested and dangerous. In addition, Sydney City Council is undertaking work in Abercrombie Street which will improve it visually but which will reduce space for pedestrians, cars and bicycles. Ivy Street and Shepherd Lane will be one-way north. Cars driving south on Ivy Street will have to turn into Lander Street which is quite narrow, and enter Shepherd Street near the Abercrombie Street crossing. They will have to queue to turn into Shepherd Street because of other traffic attempting to go through to Abercrombie Street and because of the large numbers of students entering the university at this point. (Many students walk up Lander Street as the footpaths are narrow.) At this point the University (or Sydney Council) proposes to widen the footpath. There is already a slight kink in Shepherd Street making it narrow, and it is difficult to see cyclists and approaching vehicles when turning into Shepherd St.

In addition, the University proposes to have a Services Building at this point, with trucks entering and leaving. It is proposed that deliveries to University buildings will be from this building via Shepherd Street and the University gateway near the Shepherd Street car park. Shepherd Street is part of the Sydney Council Cycleway and is not really wide enough to safely accommodate two parked cars and two cars passing each other.

On one of the appendices to the CIP there is a note that the Shepherd St entrance at the end of Calder Road, where there is a grove of tallowood trees, is to be used for car and coach drop off. I understand this is not correct.

Building proposed for site of tallowood grove:

The multistorey building proposed for this site is shown to have "nil setback". I understand this does not mean the building will be on the footpath but describes the building envelope. There is already a blank brick wall on the University boundary which is often graffitied and where rubbish is dumped. Students sit on steps there to smoke and leave the area littered with cigarette butts, food wrappings and bottles. It has been suggested that the part of Shepherd Street further down can be landscaped but this will not help the residents in the immediate vicinity of the tallowood grove if a multistorey building, with air conditioning plant etc, is built on the boundary.

I feel the rights and needs of the local community need to be taken into consideration, as would be the case with any other commercial development where a contribution is made to infrastructure by the developer. The University has said this on their website:

Our vision for the future is to create a campus environment that meets the recreational, cultural, research, and educational needs of those who work and study here, and for those who live in the surrounding community.

However the scale of the redevelopment proposed needs more planning and consideration of the effect on the local community. Most of all, there needs to be consultation and cooperation between the State Government (the Central to Eveleigh project), Sydney City Council and the University. There should be provision in the plans for the replacement of the bridge at the western end of Redfern Station, and a tunnel for pedestrians and cyclists from Redfern Station to the Maze Crescent and Victoria Park, linking Redfern to Broadway and the proposed light rail.

Before any plans for redevelopment are settled, there needs to be a solution to the existing problems which are being caused by the volume of people travelling to the University, and the problems which will be generated by the development.

Susannah Dale

Uploaded document

To Peter McManus,

We object to the University of Sydney's Campus Improvement Program 2014-2020 State Significant Development (SSD 6123).

The University of Sydney has not complied with the Director General's Requirements which were requested from the Department of Planning in September 2013.

In the Director-General's Requirements documents there is a requirement which says "During the preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), consultation must be undertaken with the relevant Commonwealth Government, State or local authorities, service providers, community groups and affected landowners. In particular you must consult with: ...RAIDD - Residents Acting In Darlington's Defence."

In the EIS itself at Section 10.2 it states ""The University has been engaging with the local community throughout 2013 on the Darlington Campus Abercrombie Redevelopment Project. This has resulted in meetings with key stakeholders and local community with the University providing regular communication regarding the development of the Business School, the Abercrombie Student Accommodation project and the Darlington Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Strategy. Details of these community stakeholders can be found at Appendix N."

Section 10.2 then goes on to state "Through this engagement the University has been able to identify the major issues of importance to the community in relation to the operations of the University". However, at no stage in this engagement was there any mention by the University representatives present that they were trying "to identify the major issues of importance to the community in relation to the operations of the University" nor was there any mention of the Campus Improvement Program (CIP). The engagement was specifically about the development of the Business School, the Abercrombie Student Accommodation project and the Darlington Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Strategy.

Section 10.2 of the EIS then goes on to say "These issues have all been considered and provided for in the development of the CIP through the following inclusions detailed in Table 11". Table 11 then has 2 columns: one headed "Issue Raised" which lists the things the University has identified as issues for the community (without having checked these with the community); and one headed "CIP Response" which is presumably how the University will address those issues, which it itself has identified, in the CIP.

This table is included to address another requirement laid down by the Director-General that "The EIS must describe the consultation process and the issues raised, and identify where the design of the development has been amended in response to these issues. Where amendments have not been made to address an issue, a short explanation should be provided."

Clearly, the intention of Section 10.2 is to convince the Department that the University has complied with the Director-General's Requirements and has consulted with RAIDD in regard to the preparation of the EIS. However, no such consultation has ever taken place.

When members of RAIDD wrote to the Vice-Chancellor to complain about their names being listed in the CIS as having been consulted when they had not, the Vice-Chancellor replied quoting the first paragraph of Section 10.2 and saying "There is no suggestion that these community stakeholders were being consulted about the CIP in this reference" (see attached).

Clearly, the Vice-Chancellor agrees with us that the local community has not been consulted in the preparation of the EIS and that the University has therefore not met the condition of the Director-General's Requirements which directed the University to consult with RAIDD (amongst others) in the preparation of the EIS.

Because of this we submit that this Development Application should not be considered by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure. The University should be instructed to abide by the Director-General's Requirements and consult properly with the local community, taking into account any issues raised and showing the changes made to address each issue, before resubmitting a new State Significant Development Application to the Department.

Regards,
Colin Sharp and Mary Ellen McCue,
on behalf of RAIDD (Residents Acting In Darlington's Defence).

P.O. Box: 3161 St. Paul's NSW 2031
Telephone: (B) 02-9518-6222 (M) 0416-210114

28th February 2014

Government of New South Wales
Department of Planning

Application: SSD 13_6123 -
Proposed development of paved are next to Victor Coppleson Building by The University of Sydney.

We write regarding the above planning application. We know the site very well and examined the plans. We now wish to object strongly to the development of the paved are next to the Victor Coppleson Building.

The Bruce Williams Pavilion and its liquor licensed area (Liquor License Number: LIQ 600780691) has been licensed by Sydney University Sport and Fitness to Elegancy Catering until 2028.
The development proposal should be considered very carefully as it has the potential to ruin a large part of the business character and revenue. The University of Sydney should review the licensing agreement between Sydney University Sport and Fitness and Elegancy Catering to ensure the tenants business is not severely disadvantaged for the duration of our licensed agreement which was renewed in August 2013.


The proposal as outlined will detrimentally effect the current business for the following reasons:
1. The proposed development includes an area which is part of the business's liquor license and leased area.
2. We effectively use this area for multiple functions for Sydney University Sport and Fitness as well as private clients, on a regular basis.
3. In the event that this area is modified, the licensed area will be reduced and making it impossible for us to use for outdoor events. (There is no other area within the licensed area which is suitable for outdoor events). This will constitute a detrimental effect on our core business and will turn our venue into an indoor only venue.
4. The plans do not show any road access to "The Bruce Williams Pavilion" which will make it impossible for our deliveries to be received and for our patrons to have access to the parking area. This will render our car park into a useless open space and will have detrimental effects on our business.
5. The proposal of a new food and beverages outlet right next to "The Bruce Williams Pavilion" will conflict with our business as well as the future business. This is also inside our food and beverage licensed area.
6. The proposed bicycle parking will also conflict with the direct access of patrons to our business.

If the University of Sydney develops this area, they are radically changing the terms of the current license agreement due to expire in 2028 and damaging Elegancy Catering's business.

Elegancy Catering and the community (being the Sydney University Rugby, AFL Club, Cricket Club and Soccer) all utilise the paved area for events.

Elegancy Catering has the support of Mr. Bruce Ross, the elected president of Sydney University Sport & Fitness and Mr. Gerard Mitchell vice-president of Sydney University AFL alumni in opposing the proposed development, who both share our concerns.

In 2005, an investment of $800,000 was made to renovate the premises.
From that time to the present we have continually worked to keep the licensed area, building and surrounds in the best of condition, to enhance our business and recoup that investment.
In exchange for that amount, a 15 year license agreement (5 years x 5 years x 5 years) with Sydney University Sport & Fitness was negotiated & granted to me and my company, Elegancy Catering.
The amount expended was partly financed by Sydney University Sport and Fitness over a 10 year period at commercial interest rates.
In July 2013, a new15 year license deal was agreed, again 5 years x 5 years x 5 years and to expire in 2028, between myself (and my company Elegancy Catering Pty Ltd - ABN 61 074 286 392) and Sydney University Sport and Fitness.
At the time of the new deal negotiations, Sydney University Sport & Fitness were conducting a fundraising campaign to finance new facilities, namely a new gymnasium and new grandstand.
It was agreed between the parties, as part of those negotiations, that I would repay early (by 2 years) the outstanding loan which was financed by Sydney University Sport & Fitness. Consequently, that loan has now been fully repaid to Sydney University Sport & Fitness.
I started as a tenant of Sydney University Sport & Fitness in July 1993 and have been a long time substantial donor to university sporting clubs and sporting organisations, including Women's Sports Association, Sydney University Sport Union and Sydney University Sport & Fitness.
For example, including this year coming I have sponsored the Sydney University Women National Basketball team, "The Flames" to the value of $75,000.
Subsequently, I have expended a further $50,000 to revitalize the premises again.
All this is by way of background to my objection to the proposed new building to be built alongside the Bruce Williams Pavilion.
I have not been consulted and the proposed new food & beverage building to be built is on land that is legally designated on my licensed premises and my area of food & beverage operation.
It is part of my area of negotiated license agreement with Sydney University Sport & Fitness and signed off by Sydney University.
I derive a substantial income from that area that the development proposes to take that away.

For all the above mentioned reasons, Elegance Catering formally requests to the Minister for the Department of Planning that the proposed development be substantially modified, in order to:

- Avoid any detriment to the legitimate exercise of the Liquor Licensed area;
- Avoid any detriment to the legitimate use of the leased area;
- Avoid any detriment to the main purposes and revenue of our core business;
- Allow an essential and direct access of patrons to the premises and outdoor areas;
- Allow essential, easy and convenient access of pedestrians and all kinds of vehicles to the parking, disabled parking and delivery area.

The plan as proposed could amount to a frustration of the lease by the landlord and in that case damages, based on current figures could be in the vicinity of $1.8 million excluding the goodwill value of the business.
Should any additional information or clarification be required, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely


Luke Nicholas Mitchell
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 9518 6222 | Mobil: 0416210 114
Licensee of the Bruce Williams Pavilion
License Number: LIQ 600780691

See Attached

Enclosed please find my submission in the attached pdf

Your sincerely,

M P Cunningham
0418603264
[email protected]

Dear Peter,

Please see attached Ausgrid's submission regarding the University of Sydney's Campus Improvement Program (CIP) application.

Regards,

See attached

Please accept my submission contained in the attached pdf.

Attached please find a letter from REDWatch

Find attached written submission relating to this matter.

Please find attached the first stage of my submission for SSD 6123.

See attached

I have attached an objection to the University of Sydney CIP, which I request that you consider.

Please find attached documentation from Wayne Erickson, St Andrews College.

See attached.

See attached.

Please find attached a copy of my letter regarding a submission to the University of Sydney's Campus Improvement Program 2014-2020, State Significant Development (SSD 6123).

Regards,


Dr Allan Bull

See attached.