Save Menangle Campaign
Joint Regional Planning Panel Decision from the meeting at Picton on 28th July 2016
See the decision of the panel: Panel Decision
Click here to view the full latest planning proposal (6MB)
Details of the Development
Menangle Community Association Inc.
www.menangle.com.au
July 1st, 2015.
Dear Menangle and the residents of NSW,
Menangle Village Development
The long running Menangle Village development proposal for 350 new houses is now on public exhibition at Council and on the JRPP web site. There is a map of the proposal outside the General Store at 2 Station Street, and the map can be downloaded from: https://www.jrpp.nsw.gov.au/OnExhibition/tabid/112/ctl/view/JRPP_ID/1465/mid/534/language/en-US/Default.aspx
The major features of the proposal are:
• 300 houses to the east of the railway line and about 50 houses on the Rotolactor Paddock, west of the railway, with a community hub on each side.
• Restoration of the Creamery, Rotalactor and dairy buildings for adaptive reuse.
• A roundabout at the General Store to help the traffic flow.
• The Moreton Park Rd. and Station St. intersection is to be moved east for safety.
• The proposed most northern road on the Rotalactor paddock is now an “s” shape.
• The houses on this road will face north with a proposed neighbourhood park containing trees, community gardens, bbq facilities/shelter/play area with cow like playground equipment, courtyard, etc, across this road on the lower side.
• New roads, water, sewer and electricity services planned may allow sewer connections to extend throughout the village.
Previous polling by the association in December 2013, recorded that of the 271 residents that replied, 264 or 97% wanted all the housing to the east with none on the Rotolactor Paddock at all. Half of the minority stated they had no opinion, so in fact only 3 or 4 people actually wanted the Rotolactor paddock developed. Copies of this poll were sent to both the Council and to the JRPP, but their reply was to wait for this public exhibition period and to make a submission.
Advice received by the MCA committee is that people power can influence the JRPP and as heritage has already been listed as important, they will be waiting for our submissions. The MCA would therefore like to encourage as many people as possible to send a submission.
Below are listed 10 important and relevant points that may assist you. We suggest that as this is state issue, that you write but also ask your friends outside of Menangle to write. These points are also available for download at www.menangle.com.au
1. Agree with the development in principle as it is going to happen in some form, but disagree with any new housing on the Rotolactor paddock because:
a. The Rotolactor paddock is a unique mixture of heritage buildings and heritage landscapes, forming a precinct of assets and landscapes that are linked and clearly demonstrate the early European social, religious and cultural history of the village for the period of the 170 years of the Macarthurs Dynasty.
b. This precinct of assets and landscapes also shows the area’s agricultural history from its aboriginal past of creating pastures, through to the European pioneers who used them, and then finally to the 170 year Macarthur dynasty, which was responsible for over 15 Australian agricultural firsts.
c. This precinct of assets and landscapes or village and paddock, are part of the initial 5,000 acre Macarthur land grant, and are just as important as Belgenny Farm, Camden Park House and the Camden Park Estate and therefore deserve equal protection from development.
d. This precinct of assets and landscapes was the commercial dairy center of the Camden Park Estate (CPE) from about 1880 and became the largest supplier of milk to Sydney
e. The built form of the village and paddock is famous for being a surviving “English village layout” and any development on the paddock will detract from this.
f. This circle of assets around the paddock and the paddock, which form a precinct of assets and landscapes are needed for future generations and just as NSW schools have just begun to teach the early Australian History including the Cowpastures again,. So this area needs to be saved.
g. Already 30,000 people visit the area’s Belgenny Farm, Camden Park Educational Center and Menangle Village annually, seeking this history.
2. Finally it is also important to mention that the existing linear development approval on Station Street and Menangle Roads was approved years before any research was undertaken and now the current investigations from Muescape suggest this paddock is important and that any housing development should not go ahead on it anywhere.
3. There are many other concerns, particularly around infrastructure, with the biggest being increased traffic that you may also wish to list as well.
What you need to do now
It is important that both you and your friends write a personal letter before 5pm on Tuesday 28th July including the following notes:
1. The submission title: “Station Street, Menangle”.
2. We suggest you state that you support the proposal in principle overall, but specifically not the housing on the Rotolactor Paddock.
3. List your reasons for not wanting the housing on the paddock. They can easily be downloaded from www.menangle.com.au
4. Submit as follows:
• By mail to Regional Panels Secretariat, GPO Box 39, Sydney 2001 or
• By E mail to PlanComment@jrpp.nsw.gov.au
If you need more information or wish to discuss further, please come along to Durham Green Club house at 2 pm on Sunday 5 July.
Yours faithfully,
The MCA Committee
