PlanningAlerts

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1. I am disappointed that the 3 trees (out of 30) to be retained are the only ones not on the building lot. The developers need to be very careful not to damage trees near the boundary. There are a lot of native trees including spotted gums on that list of 27 trees to be removed. (Every single tree on the lot!) Cant the architect consider the actual location and trees in their design? Replacement is never with mature trees, and each of our mature trees has taken many years to grow and contributes to the microclimate of Epping.

2. I object to this development application. The removal of 27 trees including many indigenous trees such as spotted gums should not be permitted under any circumstances. The building needs to be redesigned to keep our native trees.
   What happened to having a proper setback to allow trees at the front and a liveable streetscape? There needs to be a greater setback (especially at the front and where it is 6 meters at the rear) and more deep root soil space including at the rear, both sides (not just the small space allowed for one side) and the front. As the design stands there is very limited space allowed in which to replace the trees. Epping residents have seen this happen before and we now say enough is enough and this must stop.
   Epping residents do not want to have Derby Street ruined like many other streets in Epping with ugly and poorly designed apartment blocks. This needs to be a more attractive design of building and please insert a gap in the middle as this is a very large footplate.

3. I am bewildered as to how the removal of all of these trees could even be considered. Some years ago a mature gun tree on a nearby property was not allowed to be removed and the developer had to change the plans around the tree. Why is it so easy to consider chopping down mature native trees now! It will change the landscape of the suburb, destroy its beauty. How can council agree to remove native healthy trees. I am sorry but I donot understand this proposal even being considered. I am extremely unhappy and disappointed in the people we have in a position of authority, representing me. I am against any action to remove healthy, native mature trees. Please listen to those who live here in Epping.

4. I would like to add to my submission that part of this site was Crown Land and has been sold to the developer to permit the building of an additional 6 apartments. The original DA/282/2015 for 12 apartments, as approved by Hornsby Shire Council in 2016, was bad enough. Please protect the trees on the Crown Land which is along the railway corridor and includes significant trees and Peppermint-Angophora Forest. These species cannot be easily replaced.
   Epping residents would like to know more about the tendering process for the sale of this Crown Land. Consideration should have been given to keeping it as green space for the community. Nevertheless it is not too late for Council to save this important part of Epping's tree canopy.

5. Please do not support this application. To allow developers the right to Crown land & cause such massive destruction/deforestation of our precious & fragile environment which has been under continual siege in recent years is totally unacceptable .

   The property contains numerous significant indigenous mature trees & their removal will have an enormous impact to biodiversity values in the region. Ironbark species in particular are now rare & extremely valuable to wildlife as they provide an important food source for wildlife during lean periods in winter as do the Spotted Gums. Spotted Gums are also now rare due to the previous shortsighted policy of Hornsby Council who removed their protection which directly resulted in a high loss of this species in Epping in the following years. This pocket of bushland provides ecological support services to the Lane Cove National Park & many threatened species of wildlife would depend on the resources here. The removal of trees within this valuable pocket will have an impact on threatened species who are known to favour these species. The loss of tree hollows has also not been accounted for in the report. Angophera species are renowned for the hollows bearing capacity & the loss of hollow bearing trees is a crisis. The flowers & leaves of the angophera are also a highly favoured tree for wildlife

   It is not clear to me the number of trees that will be removed under this application. In the report by the arborist, the inspection was done on 1/8/16 during which time the property was under Hornsby Council previous TPO. During this time many species of trees lost their protection & the report advises that its report does not cover other trees not protected under council TPO.

   It saddens me to know that this valuable & beautiful pocket of indigenous bushland has been given such little regard & protection. All for what - to satisfy the greed of development that can not be justified on any account.

6. I oppose this development on a number of grounds - the DA will forever change the integrity and environmental aspect of Epping - with beautiful native trees and historic vegetated streetscapes that once graced this historic suburb.

   Crown Land has been sold to the developer to permit the building of an additional 6 apartments. How did this happen, and why was it permissible?

   The destruction of the native environment, and removal of trees is inimical to good environmental welfare. The DA does not address sustainability nor climate change (removal of trees exacerbates climate change) and will impact future generations.

   I don’t need to tell council, as more trees and bushland are cleared, hence the ringtail possum numbers reduce. As the ringtail possum is the key food source for the local powerful owls, the reduction to the ringtail population results in the powerful owl ‘move’ from vulnerable to the point of endangered. Don’t think this won’t happen. We have already seen the disappearance of numerous bird species as a result of development - birds such as the Black-face Monarch, Yellow tufted Honeyeater, Crested Shriketit, Dusky Woodswallow, Restless Flycatcher and Gang_gang.

   This development purposed for (DA/507/2018) 21 Derby Street Epping NSW 2121 may put the last nail in the coffin for the Powerful Owls in the immediate vicinity and further afield. It is not the case they will just fly away, they are then forced to seek out the terrain of other owls and birds and compete with them.

   Any proposed building must fit within the footprint of the present building with no tree loss.

7. Please do not approve this application. To allow developers the right to Crown land and then allow them to increase the size of the apartment block by 50% from the original 12 units to 18, and allow a large number of trees to be removed, is totally unacceptable. Please listen to the residents of Epping, not the developers. Epping residents are shocked by the number of units being built and trees being removed, changing Epping from a garden suburb to a high-rise blight.

8. Crown Land that was previously protected is now being sold off to developers? How low can you go? The removal of nearly 30 trees including many which important species that sustain wildlife is totally unacceptable. Money is king? God knows the wildlife in this area is already under enough pressure from overdevelopment. This is just WRONG.

9. I am totally opposed to the development proposed for (DA/507/2018) 21 Derby Street Epping NSW 2121.
   Much has been said about how could Crown Land be sold to a developer, well yes when and where was it advertised as being for sale and what and where were the tender processes?
   The trees in question must be protected by Parramatta Council, even though they were lost by a recalcitrant, useless Hornsby Council in 2016, that same Council by name today WOULDN"T allow that to now happen. New tree preservation orders and an intelligent council and directions to Council Officers would protect these trees now and Parramatta Council must step up to the same standard or suffer the same fait the old councillors faced in Hornsby.

   Replacement of exotic trees is reasonably successful but there is still a 5-10 year time lag so where do dependant animals both native and exotic live, survive, feed, roost and where does the essential food sources for these creatures occur in that decade.

   Replacement of semi-mature native trees is even more problematic, with Barangaroo Headland Reserve, being the only successful example in Australia, at a staggering investment of tens of millions of dollars. Is Parramatta Council up for that investment?

   Once the trees are lost, they are lost, check out Beecroft Village as an example.
   The architects haven't even attempted to modify their proposal on this Derby Street project to accommodate ALL the trees, that spells disaster for the Derby Street-scape, Epping as a suburb, Sydney and the North Western Suburbs.
   Incorrect setbacks from adjacent properties, the street frontage, and insufficient permanent root curtilage protection for the existing trees spells death for the trees. That is obviously the developers plan if Parramatta Council allow it to proceed.

   A 'City' is measured by the quality of the lowest of its standards not its highest.

   I have never made a donation or gift to Parramatta Council, a Councillor or its employees.

10. Dear Sirs, Please may i register my strong objection to this proposed development. Too many trees have been lost to inappropriate development. These are especially important food and nesting trees for native animals, which are already suffering from significant tree loss since the dread 10/50 rule was introduced.

    It is appalling that crown land can be sold to developers in this way and the residents have to suffer from loss of their beloved trees. Native animals have rights too, plus we need them for biodiversity and environmental health.

    Removing them is an indication of lazy development and doing what is best for developers, not for the community, and i strongly object to this.
    Thank you for your consideration
    Sandra Shergill

11. Trees are more valuable than the development. There is lack of forward thinking in this planning process. We need to preserve as many established natives as possible as the time delay between destruction and planting new ones leaves a time gulf of development of the new plants. This time gulf will lead to destruction of environmental health as a whole.

12. Stop! Stop! Stop cutting our trees. We will be very regrettable for ourselves , our children and most importantly for indiginious people. We have already lost more than enough trees in our area looking at the bald intersection of EPPING road and Essex street. Trees are friends of human and earth. It takes decades, century or even longer to form what we are surrounded by. If trees could make sound, they would have roared. EPPING has been wailing for loosing trees which make Epping Epping

13. Please do not support this application. To allow developers the right to Crown land & cause such massive destruction/deforestation of our precious & fragile environment which has been under continual siege in recent years is totally unacceptable .

    I am a ratepayer in Parramatta Council and this development does not meet any modern interpretation of Council's Environmental Plan. Previous Parramatta Councils have rejected developers' disregard for the amenity of a street or area and I expect all Councillors to reject this application.

    The answer to loss of amenity is not to be forced to move. The answer is to stand together and protect that amenity.

14. I wholeheartedly agree with Tony Chen.

    Stop! Stop! Stop cutting our trees. We already regret the loss of habitat of wildlife and their subsequent diminishing numbers across our local area. Enough is enough not only for ourselves, but for our children and most importantly for indigenious people.

    We have already lost more than enough trees in our area looking at the bald intersection of EPPING Road and Essex Street. Trees are friends of human and earth. It takes decades, century or even longer to form what we are surrounded by. If trees could make sound, they would have roared.

    Epping must not lose any more significant native trees to over development. It is becoming unrecognsiable in places due to the greed of developers and newly arrived people to this suburb who do not value trees and greenery.

15. Under no circumstance should this application be approved. Anyone who fails to understand the importance of natural vegetation, especially mature trees to the residents' amenity and mental well-being, not to mention the environmental and climatic impacts of the reduction in tree cover that has already occurred in Epping, has no business making planning decisions.

16. Dear Council, I oppose this development application.
    Derby St is one part of Epping I regularly perform litter pickup, as it adjoins the Devlins Creek bushland, becoming Lane Cove National Park a short way downstream.
    The small birds I see during this activity will undoubtedly retreat further into this rapidly fragmenting and diminishing beautiful natural haven, further stressing its resources.
    Application ignores all natural area aspects of the immediate site and locality.
    No more secret crown land sales and no more greedy, ugly, no care for country development in this unique landscape.
    I’ve not made a donation or gift to a Councillor or Council employee.

17. To whom this may concern,

    I have been a resident of Derby Street for the last 18 years.
    I saw your Development Proposal posted on the wall of 21 Derby Street, proposing the knockdown of 2 existing buildings for the construction of a 3 storey residential flat building with 18 units, with basement parking.

    To say that I have disappointed and disgusted, is an understatement to say the least. In the last few years, the council has allowed a multiplicity of apartment blocks to be built around the station for seemingly nothing more than the financial interests of the council and wealthy investors with no sense of home and community.

    As a result, hundreds and thousands of extra cars are parking on residential streets. In the last year alone, I have struggled to park in front of my own house, and had to park on adjacent streets and walk to my own house. If we were to include another 18 units, assuming that 2 people live there only, that is potentially another 18-36 cars that will have to fight for the already minimal parking that is available. Not only that, but some morning it has taken me over 15 minutes to turn out of the roads to leave Epping. There is already an approved proprosal for not one, but THREE, high rise apartments on Langston Place with 18, 23 and 25 levels in each. Now, some basic mathematics would show you that Epping roads ARE NOT SET FOR THIS SUDDEN INCREASE IN POPULATION, nor do we have the infrastructure.

    I do not want to see Epping turned into overbuilt suburbs such as Campsie, where cars are littered all along the side walk and people live on top of one other.

    Where is the sense of community?

    Not only this, but these 3 storey apartment blocks would be towering over the current houses, which would invade into everyone's privacy.

    I know for many years proposals to turn 21 Derby Street into apartments have all been rejected.
    So I would like a thorough explanation. WHY NOW.

    In addition, why would you cut down all those native trees such as the spotted gum? Epping is overpopulated and quickly turning into a concrete jungle. Please leave what little greenery there is left.

18. Dear Councillors
    Please listen to the residents of Epping - we have had enough development and we want to retain our trees and some amenity for the existing residents (both human and fauna).
    I oppose this development and particularly I oppose that it will occur on what was previously crown land with many native trees.
    Please do not approve this development.
    Trees improve our local microclimate and provide a respite from the hot summers we are facing.

19. Please do not approve this development. I have reviewed the application and do not believe it sufficiently assesses the impact to local environment, notably impacts to the Endangered Ecological Community - Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest.

    The patch of remnant trees in the west of the property appears to meet the legal definition of Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest (https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/SydneyTurpentineIronbarkForestEndComListing.htm) which states that the community may occur as remnant trees, features Eucalyptus paniculata, Angophora costata and Pittosporum undulatum as characteristic species, and that it occurs on shale layers within sandstone. According to the arborist and Geotech report these conditions are met. This should then require an assessment of significance (5 part test), potentially an SIS, and offsetting if the trees were to be removed.

    The legal requirement of impact assessment to the ECC has therefore not occurred, and the proposal should not be approved in its current form. The proposal should be modified to avoid impacts to Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest. The building footprint should be changed so the trees can be retained. This should be possible by building on the footprint of the existing dwelling. Additionally any impacts to Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest should be mitigated on site, with planting of local native species in the landscaping (I note Syncarpia glomulifera is indicated to be planted, other species from the EEC should be as well, such as replacement Eucalyptus paniculata).

    All efforts however should be made to retain the Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest on the site, as the trees are important sources of genetic material for the local ecosystem, food sources for animals and form part of a corridor of trees leading along the west of Derby Street towards Devlin's Creek. Additionally, reviewing google maps street view, the remnant trees on the property appear to more closely resemble Eucalyptus resinifera (not E. paniculata as stated in the arborist report). This is also a Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest characteristic species.

20. Derby Street is a well established street with a mix of well maintained single and two storey houses and low rise town houses towards the end of the street. The proposed application to build a three storey apartment block with basement parking is not appropriate for this street.

    It makes more sense to demolish the existing dwelling and leave the land as a nature reserve. This action would retain the existing street scape and leave established native trees and fauna undisturbed.

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