To: The NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, and the NSW Government

We, the undersigned residents, ratepayers and members of the Beverly Hills and surrounding community, respectfully call on the NSW Government to reject the current Beverly Hills Town Centre (West) State-Assessed Rezoning Proposal for 407–511 King Georges Road, Beverly Hills, or substantially revise it following genuine and comprehensive community consultation.
Our concerns
The current proposal would allow a major increase in development intensity, including buildings ranging from 15 to 22 storeys and approximately 800 additional dwellings on the western side of King Georges Road.

We support sensible and well-planned renewal of Beverly Hills. We also recognise the need for additional housing and investment in Sydney.

However, growth must be accompanied by infrastructure, appropriate building heights, adequate open space, effective traffic management and protection of the character and liveability of the existing community.

We believe the current proposal does not adequately demonstrate that these requirements will be met.

1. Excessive building heights and density
Buildings of up to 22 storeys would represent a dramatic change to the scale and character of Beverly Hills.

High-density development should be appropriately located, designed and transitioned into surrounding low- and medium-density residential areas. We are concerned that the proposed heights could create an inappropriate built-form outcome and permanently alter the established character of Beverly Hills.

2. Traffic and transport impacts
King Georges Road and surrounding streets already experience significant traffic congestion.

Adding hundreds of new dwellings, together with additional retail and commercial activity, will inevitably increase pressure on local roads, intersections, parking and public transport.

We call for comprehensive, independently verified traffic modelling and a clear commitment to infrastructure upgrades before additional development capacity is approved.

3. Infrastructure must come before development
New residents will require adequate schools, healthcare, public transport, roads, drainage, utilities, parks, community facilities and other essential infrastructure.

It is unacceptable for development to proceed on the assumption that infrastructure will somehow catch up later.

The NSW Government must clearly identify what infrastructure will be provided, who will fund it, when it will be delivered and how it will accommodate the additional population.

4. Flooding and stormwater concerns
Beverly Hills has experienced flooding and stormwater issues, and any significant increase in population and hard-surface development must be carefully assessed.

We call for transparent publication of all relevant flood modelling and for development to proceed only where it can be demonstrated that existing residents will not face increased flood risk.

5. Loss of local character and amenity
Beverly Hills is more than a location for meeting housing targets. It is an established community with homes, families, businesses, schools, parks and local services.

Planning decisions should protect reasonable sunlight, privacy, views, streetscape quality, pedestrian safety and the amenity of neighbouring properties.

The community should not be expected to accept a fundamentally different urban environment without a clear and compelling public benefit.

6. The community deserves a coordinated plan
We are concerned that the State Government's proposal is being considered separately from the broader Georges River Council Beverly Hills Town Centre Master Plan.

The Council has been developing a long-term vision for the entire Beverly Hills Town Centre. Residents should have the opportunity to consider the State proposal alongside a comprehensive whole-of-town-centre plan rather than being asked to assess an isolated high-density rezoning in advance of that broader process.

Planning Beverly Hills should be coordinated, transparent and based on the long-term needs of the entire community.

7. Affordable housing is inadequate
The proposal currently identifies a contribution of only 2% affordable housing, or an equivalent monetary contribution.

Given the scale of the proposed uplift in development capacity, we believe the community deserves a substantially greater and clearly defined affordable-housing outcome.

8. Development should benefit the existing community
Any substantial increase in development potential should deliver tangible benefits to existing residents, not simply increase development opportunities.

We call for binding commitments to additional public open space, pedestrian improvements, community infrastructure, landscaping, parking solutions, transport improvements and other facilities proportionate to the scale of the proposed development.

WE PETITION THE NSW GOVERNMENT TO:

• Reject the current Beverly Hills Town Centre (West) rezoning proposal in its present form.
• Do not approve building heights of up to 22 storeys without further comprehensive assessment and genuine community consultation.
• 
  Undertake transparent and independently reviewed assessments of traffic, parking, flooding, stormwater, utilities, schools, public transport and community infrastructure.
• 
  Coordinate State planning for the western precinct with the Georges River Council Beverly Hills Town Centre Master Plan and the planning of the wider town centre.
• 
  Ensure that infrastructure and community facilities are planned and funded before or alongside development, rather than being left to future residents and taxpayers.
• 
  Protect the amenity and character of existing residential neighbourhoods through appropriate building heights, setbacks, transitions, landscaping and public-domain requirements.
• 
  Increase the affordable-housing contribution so that it is proportionate to the scale of the proposed development uplift.
• 
  Provide the Beverly Hills community with full access to relevant technical studies, modelling and supporting documentation in clear and understandable language.
• 
  Undertake further meaningful consultation with residents, businesses, landowners and community organisations before any final rezoning decision is made.
• 
  Adopt a balanced, community-led and infrastructure-supported approach to growth that allows Beverly Hills to evolve without sacrificing its liveability, character and long-term sustainability.

OUR POSITION
We are not opposed to appropriate development or housing growth.

We are opposed to development occurring at a scale and intensity that is not properly supported by infrastructure, does not adequately protect existing residents and is not the result of a coordinated long-term plan for Beverly Hills.

We ask the NSW Government to listen to the people who live, work and invest in Beverly Hills and to reconsider the current proposal.

We call on the NSW Government to put the long-term interests of Beverly Hills ahead of short-term development targets.

STOP THE CURRENT PROPOSAL — PLAN BEVERLY HILLS PROPERLY.