Frequently asked questions The following information responds to some of the most commonly asked questions about Moreton Park Road, Menangle. Progress with planning and consultation will lead to changes to this information over time. Q: Who is on the project team? A: The site is under the single control of Menangle Pastoral who is the proponent for the project. At this stage the project team includes Cox and Elton Consulting. Cox will be involved in master plannin Q: What is Menangle Pastoral's Planning Proposal seeking to achieve? A: The company behind the proposal, Menangle Pastoral, is seeking to create a business park aimed at providing new jobs in the area. This means the site will be used for offices, light industry, warehousing and logistics and wholesale / trade retail. It will not be used for heavy industry Q: Who is the proposal being lodged by? A; Menangle Pastoral owned by Russell Halfpenny and Ernest Dupere. Q: How will the re-zoning proposal benefit the local and regional community? The proposal provides an important opportunity to:
Q: Why is Menangle Pastoral proposing to build a Business Park on the site? The proposal is not for an industrial park. It is for a Business Park that will contain a range of office and light industrial uses. The site is perfectly located with access to existing rail and road links, a growing population and an expanding labour market. The proposal will play a major role in reducing the 'leakage' of jobs, spending and resources from Wollondilly and the South West region. The NSW Department of Planning's Draft South West Subregional Strategy (Draft SWSRS) states the site at Moreton Park Road, Menangle is 'potential high quality employment land'. It states: "It is therefore expected to be attractive for logistics, warehousing, and manufacturing businesses and contribute significantly to local employment opportunities close to home for Macarthur South residents." (Page 38 Draft SWSRS) In addition, Council's Growth Management Strategy (GMS) recognises the Wollondilly Shire Council area will grow and require 'many more jobs'. The proposal meets this requirement by providing the opportunity for employment lands in Macarthur South and along the F5 corridor. Q: What is the difference between a business park and an industrial estate? A; A business park typically contains a range of office, warehouse and light industrial uses. Light industry means uses that are not hazardous or offensive. Uses permitted with consent in a business park zone include child care centres, light industries, neighbourhood shops, office premises, passenger transport facilities, warehouse or distribution centres. Some examples of companies include: Resmed, IBM and Woolworths warehouse An industrial park typically comprises heavier industrial land uses such as hazardous or offensive industries. These uses are not proposed. Q: Under the re-zoning, can the site be used as an industrial estate? A: The proposal is seeking to rezone the lands for B7 Business Park uses such as child care centres, light industry, neighbourhood shops, office premises, passenger transport facilities, warehouse or distribution centres. It is not possible to develop an industrial estate under this land use zoning. Q: Does the proposal include plans to build an intermodal? A: This proposal does not include an intermodal terminal at the site. The NSW Department of Planning and the Wollondilly Shire Council both have strategies focussing on creating local employment and high quality jobs in this region. For this reason we decided it was more appropriate to investigate and re-zone the site for use as employment lands. Q: How will the proposed development work? A: The aim is to provide a development like Norwest Business Park at the Menangle site. Norwest is considered a state-of-the-art $2.5 billion commercial and industrial hub in Baulkham Hills. It is home to many high profile multi-national corporations including IBM, ResMed and Woolworths. This development will fill the gap in the South West Region for a high quality business park with mixed commercial/light industrial premises. Q: How commercially viable is the site? A: At present the land is zoned for rural land uses. Re-zoning of the site will allow the development of a regionally important business park that will be central in stimulating growth and addressing the 'job leakage' from the area. Correct planning, design and infrastructure provision will ensure the site becomes commercially viable. Q: When was the site first identified as potential employment lands? A: This site has been identified for employment lands since the Macarthur South Regional Environmental Study (RES) in the early 1990s and is explicitly referred to in the Department of Planning Draft Subregional Strategy – South West subregion. We chose to work with Council through a re-zoning process rather than pursue a part 3A process with the Department of Planning. Q: How will the proposal improve local supporting infrastructure? A: Currently we know there is a lack of local infrastructure, such as electricity, water and waste water, at the site. The re-zoning proposal adds value for residents by improving the local infrastructure. A preliminary assessment of the infrastructure needs at the site indicated:
There is potential for pedestrian and cycle paths between the employment area, Menangle Village and the Menangle rail station. Q: How will residents benefit from your proposal? A: Council's Growth Management Strategy shows the Wollondilly workforce spend more time travelling greater distances to and from work than people in any other nearby local government area. It concluded this has a negative impact on maintaining the social cohesion of the community. The planning proposal provides Council with the opportunity to provide employment closer to its residents and will help to address this problem. Q: How does the planning proposal respect the European and Aboriginal heritage of the site? A: Menangle's rural heritage will be respected and work has already been undertaken to identify European and Aboriginal heritage on site. A visual assessment looking at key view lines has also been undertaken. The recommendations of these reports have been incorporated into the planning proposal to ensure the heritage value of Menangle Village is celebrated and visual amenity maintained. The Rotolactor and Camden Park Estate Creamery will be retained so their heritage value can be understood and enjoyed by the community through appropriate adaptive re-use. Further work will be undertaken as the planning proposal progresses to ensure future development on the site takes into account all areas identified as having a local or state heritage significance. Q: How will the proposal retain the area's rural character? A: The area's rural character has been taken into account by assessing the visual landscape, heritage significance, environment, infrastructure and local amenity. This will continue to be assessed throughout the re-zoning process to ensure we protect the area's rural character. As the land is in single ownership strict design controls can be prepared to set a high standard for development at the site. Q: What sort of residential component are you proposing? A: The existing urban village will be zoned for a mix of housing types and densities to meet growing community needs. The Creamery and the Rotolactor are being retained and the Camden Park Estate Creamery building will be the centrepiece of the mixed use hub next to the railway station. The proposal also includes a new community oval to the north of the residential development. Q: Who is the Planning Authority for the proposal? A: The previous Minister for Planning, Tony Kelly, determined the proposal was a matter of regional environmental planning significance which means the Sydney West Region Joint Regional Planning Panel will be the relevant planning authority for the re-zoning. Q: What is a Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) and who appoints it? A: A Joint Regional Planning Panel is an independent body comprising three State appointed and two council appointed members. The Minister for Planning appoints three independent professionals for each region and each local council appoints two members. Q: Why is the South West Sydney Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) the planning authority? A: In August 2010 Council decided due to 'lack of regional strategic justification' not to proceed with the Planning proposal . When the Council refused a request from the Director General of Planning to reconsider its position, the Planning Minister directed the JRPP to step in as the relevant planning authority for the re-zoning. The JRPP includes members nominated by Council, ensuring they retain an involvement in the process. Q: What is the role of Council on the Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP)? A: There is in no obligation for Council to participate in the JRPP. Council has elected the following as members of the JRPP: Les McMahon (member), Col Mitchell (member), Ben Banasik (alternate), Peter Wright (alternate). According to the JRPP Secretariat it is very rare but in certain circumstances the elected council members have the option of saying they are unavailable for the relevant JRPP meeting or that there would be a conflict of interest in them attending. Q: What is the next step with this re-zoning? A: The JRPP will consider the Planning Proposal. If they decide there is merit in the proposal it will be considered by the Minister or his delegate and a 'gateway' decision is issued. Q: When will the Joint Regional Planning Panel make a decision about the re-zoning? There are no formal or legal time constraints within which the JRPP has to make its decision. However, once the JRPP forwards its decision to the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) Review Panel, a Gateway decision should be issued within 30 days. The gateway determination sets out the time frame for completing the planning proposal. Typically this is within 12 months. Q: How does the planning process work from here? A: Refer to planning context page
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