There is a proposal to redevelopment the Cyprus Community Club into 500 residential apartments and a Coles supermarket, representing a major mixed-use development that will significantly impact our local community. https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/conquest-lodges-plans-for-900m-cypress-club-stanmore-site

The scale and intensity of the proposed development is untenable. It is inappropriate for the site and surrounding area, and will have an unacceptable impact on local infrastructure, services, businesses, community amenities and ultimately quality of life.

The redevelopment will cause:

1. A significant increase in traffic and the negative effects of such an increase;

2. Difficulty in accessing local public schools, without compromising on quality of education and sufficient space to play;

3. Difficulty in accessing safe and quality early childhood education and care;  

4. The negative consequences of introducing a Coles supermarket, including the exacerbation of the other concerns identified; and

5. Difficulty in accessing necessary medical care, mental health support, physical education and amenities.  

6. The scale is excessive and out of character for the area.  

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION AND WRITE TO MINISTER FOR HOUSING - ROSE JACKSON - TO OPPOSE THIS DEVELOPMENT.

1. Traffic and parking  

The proposed development will generate significant additional traffic that will overwhelm the existing road network. The local road infrastructure is inadequate to support the traffic volumes that would be generated by 500 apartments (potentially 700-1000 additional residents with vehicles) plus a major retail facility.

The existing local road network is already over capacity and cannot accommodate this level of development without significant infrastructure upgrades, some of which may be impossible due to the presence of existing residential property. Part of the site will need to be developed into the widening of Tupper Street or the introduction of a new road. The widening of Tupper Street is only possible in the part of the street that the Cyprus Community Club currently occupies. It is also not possible to widen Newington Road to allow for two way traffic, without removing already restricted on-street parking. 

There is no doubt that the proposed development will create safety hazards for pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicle users and cause traffic bottlenecks.

The development will create significant parking shortfalls in an area where parking is already constrained, particularly on the weekend when there are sporting events at Newington College. The parking needs of the community are currently satisfied due to the availability of free parking in the Cyprus Community Club carpark. It is presently unclear what the parking proposal is for the development, but it is presumed that not all apartments constructed will have permanent car spaces and that there will not be free public parking on site. This will force overflow parking into surrounding residential streets, creating additional safety and amenity issues for existing residents.

2. Public school system  

The local public school system lacks capacity to accommodate the significant influx of students that would result from 500 new apartments. This represents a failure to provide adequate public infrastructure to support the proposed development.

Stanmore Public School, the closest public primary school, currently has 564 enrolled students. I understand, anecdotally, that all students currently cannot fit into the hall for assembly and need to travel to use a hall at another school. The school infrastructure cannot accommodate the additional enrolment that would result from hundreds of new families moving into the area. The school grounds are not large and there is already restricted green space for play and sport that is shared between the infants and primary students. The proposed development falls within the catchment area for Stanmore Public School and would likely lead to a significant influx in student enrolments. 

Other nearby public schools, including Newtown Public School and Camdenville Public School are similarly constrained and cannot absorb the additional student population that this development would generate. 

3. Early childhood education and daycare  

Local early childhood education and care services lack capacity to accommodate the significant increase in demand that would result from 500 new apartments housing young families.

The existing childcare facilities in the area are already operating at capacity with substantial waiting lists. This issue is extremely concerning, particularly given the ABC investigation into the abuse and neglect of our children within day care centres. 

There are currently only 2 council day cares within walking distance of the Cyprus Club: Enmore Early Learning Centre and Cavendish Street Early Learning Centre. Both of these centres are at max capacity and have significant wait lists. It is unacceptable to suggest that parents consider other options, including private daycares, where there is an increased cost and risk of abuse or neglect. 

4. Coles supermarket

The proposed Coles supermarket will significantly exacerbate traffic and parking problems, requiring large delivery vehicles and generating additional customer traffic in an already constrained road network.

There is no need for the introduction of a Coles supermarket. There is already a Woolworths, Coles and Aldi within the Marrickville Metro with appropriate parking and access infrastructure. There is also a Harris Farm on Victoria Road, which has recently opened. The addition of a major supermarket to this constrained site will compound traffic congestion and parking shortfalls without providing necessary community benefit.

Further, a Coles supermarket would also stifle a lot of the currently thriving small businesses in the Enmore area, including small supermarkets and the local farmers market in Marrickville on Sundays. 

5. Health care and necessary services  

The proposed development will strain existing community services and infrastructure beyond capacity, including healthcare, recreational facilities, and essential services.

- There is known difficulty in access to General Practitioners and psychologists/psychiatrists.

- The local public pool is Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre. This operates swim school for children and it is already very difficult to access swimming lessons.  

- The local post-office, Enmore LPO on Enmore Road, is run by two people. The ability of this post-office to service this many people is unknown.  

6. Excessive scale and character impact

The proposed 500 apartments represents a massive overdevelopment that is completely out of character with the surrounding medium and low-density residential area. Unlike other recent developments in neighbouring suburbs, the proposed development is not within 500m of new or existing rail or metro stations and is not in an area that is industrial. This scale of development will create unacceptable visual bulk, overshadowing of neighbouring properties, and loss of amenity for existing residents. The proposal fails to respect the established character of the neighbourhood and sets a dangerous precedent for inappropriate high-density development in unsuitable locations.

Conclusion  

While we support appropriate housing development, this proposal in its current form is unsuitable and should be refused. Any future development of this site must be significantly reduced in scale - to no more than 200 apartments - and must include comprehensive infrastructure upgrades and traffic management solutions. Independent expert analysis of traffic, infrastructure capacity, and community impact must be undertaken before any approval is considered.

The number of people this will affect is significant. The need for the State government to quickly meet its housing target should not be to the detriment of the current and future members of the community.  

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION AND WRITE TO MINISTER FOR HOUSING - ROSE JACKSON - TO OPPOSE THIS DEVELOPMENT