Through a voluntary planning agreement, Sutherland Shire Council in New South Wales is helping to address demand for housing and maintain valuable open space.
In the 1970s many Sutherland Shire Council residents enjoyed taking weekend trips to the massive sand hills at Kurnell with a cardboard box to use as a sled.
Since that time however, the sand hills have been slowly mined to feed the Sydney construction boom.
Following the sand mining activities, some of the land on the Kurnell Peninsula has been used for landfill.
Other land has been used for commercial and light industrial operations, while other valuable land has lain dormant.
With the ever-increasing demand for residential sites in Sydney much of the area became hot property and presented a great opportunity for the owners.
The increase in residential occupation changed the ongoing viability for the surrounding commercial operations and also coincided in some cases with the expiry of licences for landfill operations.
As a result, the landowners saw the opportunity to develop the land and leave a lasting legacy for the community. This has been achieved through a Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA).
In lieu of paying the Section 94 Contribution, both developers proposed a VPA in 2010.
Frasers Property Australia (formerly Australand) and Breen Holdings submitted development applications for the creation and subdivision of residential properties at the northern end of Wanda beach.
The VPA with Sutherland Shire Council is to deliver the Greenhills Parklands development located between Botany Bay and Bate Bay on the Kurnell Peninsular in Sutherland Shire in Sydney’s South.
Bate Bay takes in Cronulla, North Cronulla, Elouera and Wanda Beaches.
The project is a joint venture between Frasers Property Australia (formerly Australand), Breen Holdings Pty Ltd and Sutherland Shire Council.
The Greenhills VPA will see the rehabilitation of a former sand mining site and a landfill facility due for closure in 2020 to deliver 91ha of parklands, roads and parking, environmental habitats and shared pathways connecting the park land to the residential developments.
Council’s contribution to the agreement, in addition to managing the community consultations for the use of the site by organised sports, was negotiating the inclusion of a long awaited eastern skate park for Sutherland Shire and the funding of the construction of synthetic hockey fields in lieu of grass fields.
The Greenhills VPA achieves two priorities for both state and local government. It addresses the ever-increasing demands for residential lots within the Sydney metropolitan area, whilst also forming an integral part of Council’s strategy to ensure high quality public open space for future generations of Shire residents.
