Woolworths is seeking to rezone five properties; three in Targo Road and two in Ramsgate Road, from residential to commercial, in order to build a 4,100sqm Woolworths supermarket – one of the largest in Australia – and an additional 4,000sqm of retail shops, in addition to three residential towers, two at eight storeys and one at six storeys in height, to achieve 176 apartments. This is excessive for the area and will be detrimental in many ways. We believe the current height limits are more than generous and that they should not be exceeded.

The South Sydney Local Planning Panel is meeting to determine if the planning proposal can proceed. The meeting is imminent and is also closed to the public. We therefore encourage you to email the Department of Planning, Industry & Environment by 15 August recommending No Gateway Approval for Woolworths Ramsgate.

The Association’s submission, which is a detailed response to the issues with the planning proposal and the problems it will cause for the area, is available to read.

Read more about the proposal as well as download a template to help you write your email submission.

Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote a submission to Georges River Council objecting to the proposed boarding house at 48 Oxford St, Mortdale.

Submission to Georges River Council: DA2022/0041 48 Oxford St, Mortdale

Download Word Doc version of submission to make your own edits

Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote a submission to Transport for NSW about the proposed Beverly Hill Commuter Car Park.

The proposed commuter car park would displace a free 90+ space car park used by the public to shop, dine and conduct business in the Beverly Hills shopping area to be replaced with a new commuter car park that will be for exclusive use by Opal Card through a boom gate. The car park use would exclude any shoppers or people who currently use the car park, which is the major car park for the commercial and business area of Beverly Hills with no plan for its replacement.

Submission to Transport for NSW - Beverly Hills Commuter Car Park

Download Word Doc version of Submission to make your own edits

Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote a submission to DA2021/0294 at 87 Woniora Rd, Hurstville. The DA proposes an 84 person 5-storey boarding house next door to Woniora Rd School which caters to secondary-aged students diagnosed with emotional disorders and mental health issues. We believe the boarding house will have an adverse effect on the high-risk and vulnerable children attending the school and the application should be deferred so meaningful discussions can take place with the School Principal, the Education Department, and the owner or developer so that an amicable resolution can be obtained that satisfies both the Applicant and the School Community.

Submission DA2021/0294 - 87 Woniora Rd, Hurstville

Read the Leader article.

Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote a submission to DA2021/0244 - 5-7 The Strand, Penshurst which was a proposal for a mixed use commercial and residential development. The application seeks to take advantage of the bonus floor space requirements in the Affordable Housing SEPP (Infill Development). The Association believes there should be a better mix of apartment types nominated as affordable housing in the development and that applicant should nominate the Community Housing Provider prior to the DA being determined.

Submission DA2021/0244 - 5-7 The Strand, Penshurst

Read the Leader article.

Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote a submission objecting to DA2021/0295 for a proposed 6 storey, 88 person mixed use boarding house and retail development.

We believe this development application is out of character for the local area, has a negative impact on neighbouring properties, does not meet parking requirements and has no detail in regards to how it will be affordable, so it should be refused on this basis.

Submission to DA2021/0295 proposed mixed use boarding house / retail development

Download a Word Doc of the submission to use to write your own submission (its always best to reword the submission if you can)

Read The Leader article: $7.7 million six-storey boarding house plan for Carlton

Kogarah Bay Progress Association has written the following submission to Georges River Council in response to the Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan. This is a long-term plan for major capital works in the local government area, funded by developer contributions (developer contributions are fees paid by developers when new units are built to contribute towards local community infrastructure including open space).

We are disappointed to see that there has been $0 allocated for aquatic facilities in the LGA, despite Council's Open Space, Recreation, and Community Facilities Strategy stating the need for a third aquatic facility.

Submission Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan

The Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote the submission below to the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in response to the proposed New Housing SEPP.

Our Association supports the previous update to the Housing SEPP that would have restricted Boarding Houses in R2 low-density residential zones, and is disappointed to see that this latest version of the Housing SEPP backflips on this inclusion and again permits Boarding Houses in R2 zones that meet ‘accessibility criteria’ that would essentially include most of the metropolitan Sydney area.

We are pleased to see that a definition for ‘affordable’ has been included in the SEPP and that Boarding Houses will need to be managed by Community Housing Providers.

Submissions are open until 29th August 2021 and you can write a submission at this page.

Submission to NSW DPIE re: New Housing SEPP

The Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote on behalf of our members to oppose the application from Georges River Council to IPART for a Special Rate Variation (SRV) to increase rates above the rate peg and to increase the minimum rate.

Submission to IPART re: Georges River Council application for rate rise

The Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote the following submission in relation to the Proposed changes to the NSW Affordable Housing SEPP

Submission: Proposed New Housing SEPP

The Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote the following submission in response to the Development Application submitted by Georges River Council to demolish and subdivide the site of the Sans Souci Bathers’ Pavilion.

Submission to DA2020/0166 Sans Souci Bathers Pavilion

In our submission KBPA strongly suggest that any Consent for the subdivision of the site to create Lot 1 should include the following conditions:

1. Lot 1 shall remain in public ownership.

2. Any future building or buildings on Lot 1 shall not extend outside the footprint of the existing Bathers’ Pavilion and in particular, NO building shall extend past the eastern wall of the existing Bathers’ Pavilion so as to ensure there is no building encroachment within the tree canopy of the existing Moreton Bay Fig tree.

3. Public ‘all weather’ access shall be maintained along the foreshore of Lot 1.

4. Any future building or buildings on Lot 1 shall be no higher above street level than the existing Water Police building on the adjoining site.

5. To preserve the vista across Georges River from the footpaths in Water Street, any future building or buildings at street level on Lot 1 shall not occupy more than 50% of the length of the old pavilion building.

6. Any future use of the site shall Not include commercial development but be restricted to; a café, restaurant and public open space.

7. The proposed Lot 1 shall remain community land.

Read the Leader article on the planned demolition.

Read the Leader article on the concerns of Kogarah Bay Progress Association for this DA

Moreton Bay Fig’s historic significance recognised

The Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote the following submission in response to the Draft Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 2020.

In our submission we have outlined concerns for the proposed 'permitted use' changes in the R4, B6 and RE1 zones and have requested council consider the following amendments to the Draft LEP 2020;

1. delete restaurants, cafes and small bars from the ‘permitted uses’ in the R4 Zone

2. delete Function Centres and small bars from the ‘permitted uses’ in the B6 – Enterprise Corridor zone

3. delete ‘Entertainment Facilities’ from Schedule 1 – ‘Additional Permitted uses’ for Jubilee Oval and Kogarah Park.

Submission to Georges River Council re: Draft LEP 2020

The Kogarah Bay Progress Association has written a 2nd submission in response to the Draft LEP 2020 in relation to the proposed reduction of Foreshore Scenic Protection Areas.

Submission to Georges River Council re: reduction of FSPA in Draft LEP 2020

The Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote the following submission to Georges River Council in response to their Draft Regional Aquatic Site Suitability and Feasibility Study.

Submission to Georges River Council re Draft Regional Aquatic Site Suitability and Feasibility Study

The Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote the following submission to Georges River Council requesting additional changes to the amendments proposed to Part C2 - Medium Density Housing in Kogarah DCP 2013. We believe the requested changes in this submission are important to address the transition requirements between the new R4 (21m) zones in Wyuna St (Beverley Park) and John Street (Kogarah Bay) that are opposite the R2 single storey dwellings on the eastern side of these streets.

Submission to Georges River Council amendments to Part C2 Medium Density Housing in Kogarah DCP 2013

The Kogarah Bay Progress Association believes Councillors should be the decision-makers on who community properties are leased to, not the GM. The General Manager currently has delegated authority to negotiate and execute leases on Council property up to 20 years. The Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote a submission to Georges River Council urging Councillors to revoke this delegated authority so they are the decision-makers in the future.

Submission to Georges River Council Draft Community Lease Policy

The Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote the following submission to the Geographical Names Board in support of the proposed renaming of the South Street Reserve (corner of Montgomery and South Streets, Kogarah) to ‘Edith Blake Reserve’.

Read these recent articles from The Leader on the proposal; Aug 29, May 16, Dec 6.

Submission to Geographical Names Board supporting naming proposal for ‘Edith Blake Reserve’.

The following submission was sent to Georges River Council on 1st August 2019 in response to Council’s Draft Local Strategic Planning Statement. The main points the submission covered are outlined below:-

• Identifying the Regional Sporting Hub - we believe that Carss Bush Park should be identified as the Regional Sporting Hub for our district in lieu of Jubilee Stadium.

• Medium Density Housing Stocks - we believe the old Kogarah Municipality has already taken more than its share of increased densities in recent years with the massive increase in zonings as a result of the New City Plan and there should not be any further increases in this area until critical infrastructure catches up to these increased densities.

• Aquatic Facilities - with increased populations there should be no reduction in aquatic capacity in the LGA and with the recent closure of Carss Park Pool there should be a new 50m pool complemented by a 25m indoor pool and gym constructed in the immediate future on the site of the current Kogarah War Memorial Pool at Carss Park.

Submission for Georges River Council Draft Local Strategic Planning Statement

UPDATE

The LSPS is scheduled to be reported to the GRC Environment & Planning Committee on 14 October and then proceed to the Council Meeting on 28 October seeking adoption of the LSPS.

The following letter was sent to the NSW Minister for Planning on 31st July 2019 in relation to the economic advantages private developers have in building boarding houses in accordance with the NSW Affordable Housing SEPP. Our association is concerned with the loss in open space contributions to Council as a result of developers exploiting the financial advantages contained within the SEPP as a result of building boarding houses in lieu of residential flat buildings.

Letter to The Hon. Rob Stokes MP, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces

Response on behalf of NSW Minister of Planning

The following letter was sent to the NSW Minister for Planning on 31st July 2019 to express our associations concerns that the 40 day deemed refusal provision of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation is no longer adequate based on the size and complexity of development applications that exist today. We call on the Minister to consider extending this period to 60-80 days.

Letter to The Hon. Rob Stokes MP, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces

The following submission was sent to Bayside Council on 10th June 2019 in response to Development Application DA2018/151 at 238-242 Rocky Point Road, Ramsgate. The DA seeks to gain approval to build a 70-room boarding house, in the same building footprint as Development Application DA2017/174 for 18 luxury apartments that was previously approved by Bayside Planning Panel on 27/2/2018. You can read more about the history of the development applications at this site in this article by The Leader.

Submission to DA2018/151 - 70-room Boarding House at 238-242 Rocky Point Rd, Ramsgate

In Oct 2017 the Beverley Park Golf Club submitted a DA to demolish the existing Staff Workshop and construct a new Staff Workshop and Maintenance building 5 times the size of the existing building. In April 2019, this Development Application was renotified with amended plans and updated Statement of Environmental Effects. On behalf of the residents whose properties adjoin the site of the proposed maintenance building, the Kogarah Bay Progress Association wrote the following submission to Georges River Council. Submissions close on 24th May, and residents are encouraged to write submissions to support the affected neighbours.

Submission to DA2017/0472 - Beverley Park Golf Course Maintenance Shed

Kogarah Bay Progress Association are very concerned at proposed changes outlined in Georges River Council’s Draft Code of Meeting Practice 2019. In particular we are very concerned that a number of the proposed changes in Council’s Draft Code of Meeting Practice 2019 are not mandatory directions within the NSW Office of Local Government Model Code of Meeting Practice for Local Councils in NSW 2018, and in fact some clauses are contrary to those directions. 

Kogarah Bay Progress Association have sent a submission to Council that outlines these concerns.

Residents are encouraged to write their own submission to Council before the public exhibition period closes on 13th May 2019.

Submission for Georges River Council Draft Code of Meeting Practice 2019

See the differences on Public Forums between the GRC Draft Code of Meeting Conduct vs NSW Office of Local Government Model Code of Meeting Practice for Local Councils in NSW 2018

See Letters to the Editor in The Leader.

See Leader article on 8th May 2019.

KBPA 3min address at the 27th May 2019 Ordinary Council Meeting

See Leader article on 28th May 2019 folling Council meeting

Georges River Council have developed a draft Open Space, Recreation and Community Facilities Strategy, which provides high-level direction for community centres, libraries, open space, sport and recreation facilities, athletics and aquatic facilities in the Georges River area.

Council is seeking community feedback on this Strategy until Sunday 7 April 2019.

Kogarah Bay Progress Association have developed a submission and sent to Council in response to the recommendations outlined in this draft strategy. Residents are encouraged to write their own submissions to Council, before the 7th April deadline on issues that concern them.

Submission for Draft Open Space, Recreation and Community Facilities Strategy

Kogarah Bay Progress Association has sent the following letter to Georges River Council, on behalf of residents of Parkside Drive, Carss Park in relation to the construction of a new large sporting facility including a 16-vehicle carpark within the park and road reserve opposite their homes. Council states that they were not required to submit a development application, and thus residents were given no opportunity for input via the standard neighbour notification process.

Letter to GRC re: Objection to Sports Complex at Parkside Drive, Carss Park

Response from GRC Director Assets and Infrastructure

KBPA was not satisfied with the response from the Director of Assets and Infrastructure and wrote this reply on 1st May 2019.

KBPA Letter to Director of Assets and Infrastructure 01.05.19

Leader article: Residents claim they have been shut out of Charles Pirie Reserve Consultation

Leader article: New $1.75m sports block at Charles Pirie Reserve

The following letter was sent to the Mayor, Councillors and General Manager of Georges River Council, requesting automated email notifications when new council business papers are published to council’s website.

Request for Public Notification of Published Business Papers

The Mayor, Kevin Greene wrote the following to Kogarah Bay Progress Association in response to the request.

Mayor’s Response