14 August 2012

Strathfield Council has renewed its call for a public hearing for the Australian Catholic University (ACU) concept plan as it prepares its submission to oppose the development.

The Department of Planning & Infrastructure is re-exhibiting the ACU concept plan until Friday, 24 August 2012.

The Department originally publicly exhibited its concept plan earlier this year and more than 600 submissions were received. The ACU has now submitted a response to submissions and preferred project report (PPR) which incorporates changes to the proposal

Strathfield Mayor, Councillor Paul Barron, said the minor changes that ACU has made go nowhere near addressing the concerns of the Strathfield community.

“We are opposing the proposed Australian Catholic University Concept Plan as it would create:

• An unsustainable increase in student numbers
• An intolerable impact on traffic and parking around the campus
• An unacceptable impact on the heritage landscape and character of the area.

“The only fair way to examine the proposal is for the Minister for Planning & Infrastructure, Brad Hazzard to hold a public hearing, which would ensure that views of the community are properly heard and discussed,” said Councillor Baron.

“We encourage Strathfield residents who are concerned about this development to prepare their own submission to oppose it and to have their voices heard,” he added.

The environmental assessment and the preferred project report for the project can be viewed during business hours at:

• Department of Planning and Infrastructure – Information Centre, 23-33 Bridge, Street, Sydney; and
• Strathfield Council – Customer Service Centre, 65 Homebush Road, Strathfield.

All relevant documents are also publicly available on the department’s website, and can be accessed by visiting majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au and following the links to the ‘On Exhibition’ page.