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1. Another future slum in the planning. Is there no-one who can stop this insanity? And how many "overseas investors" will be acquiring these little boxes? Glad I won't be around to deal with the road rage, laundry flapping from every balcony, and stinking cooking smells wafting over the multiple towers being erected in our once beautiful suburb.

2. Agree cheryl. Just a disgrace

3. So what's the solution to housing and moving around the 50-75k people who move into Sydney every year?
   We may not like the current situation but what's the alternative?
   Isn't it best to have higher density housing near public transport and shops?
   We definitely need better public transport but how do you stop the population increase?
   Higher density housing does provide an opportunity for entry level housing for our children who are being shut out of the housing market where they grew up.
   I don't think we can keep knocking every proposal to increase housing stock without offering a credible solution to provide entry level housing for our children and their families whether it's rental or for sale!

4. My main objection to the complete overdevelopment of our little garden suburbs on railway lines is this. The overdeveloment is simply greed feeding on the current situation. This is not long term planning, unless it is planning for future slums. I know my children would not buy into, or even live in these towers of boxes, and even if they did, it would only be until they could afford a real home. The degradation of our suburbs is about greed. And dare I say that those who will be living in these boxes will not be travelling into the City to work, so the public transport won't figure into their calculations. And the more supply, the cheaper the rent, the worse tenants we will get. Walk around Chatswood, Hurstville, Liverpool, where this type of development has already occurred. Why would we want Epping and Beecroft to descend into the blocks of overcrowded boxes, graffitied towers of concrete, petty criminal activity and complete lack of any family-friendly amenities? It's never too late to stop until the bulldozers move in, but the degradation of our suburb is well underway, and I for one will be very sad to see Epping in particular, turn into a suburb of transients, with everything that this term implies.

5. Well that's the needs of you and yours described and I note you think you know the needs and desires of everyone else in the market. But that clearly differs from reality as the new units are selling and quickly. At about 2-3 people per dwelling we need about 25-30,000 new dwellings a year in Sydney to cater for the population increase. Not all in Epping obviously but we need new housing for older people and younger people alike. Not everyone wants a big house on a big block. For years that number of new dwellings hasn't been built so it's catch up. It's not perfect because it is catch up but logic says put the people near public transport and other infrastructure. You may have noticed Epping has had a fair bit of new public transport infrastructure and roads (M2 upgrade) provided recently.
   It's still not clear from your comments exactly where the increased population would be best housed since they do want to live in Sydney. Anywhere but Epping?

6. Regional Areas desperately need migrants to keep them growing and vibrant. They could keep beautiful suburbs with old homes and trees intact and make all migrants move there. Many areas in regional Australia are actively looking to attract skilled and business migrants.

7. I'd love to move back to the NSW North Coast Regional location I came from however my family and I are now connected to Sydney socially and through work.
   By what mechanisms do we restrict free people's movements within Australia and tell them where to live. Some sort of internal border controls? Are you happy to be told where to live?
   At the route of all these anti development arguments seems to be rampant NIMBYism and envy. If current landowners hold out and sell their land to developers for huge capital gains without being taxed it's still their perfect legal entitlement. If they were taxed on those windfall gains in the year they occur or prices were somehow capped then development may stop. However to accuse developers alone of greed is grossly hypocritical. The government (us) gets a huge windfall from the stamp duty and GST on each of these new apartment sales. The govt actually charges stamp duty on the GST. A tax on a tax! On a $1.1m sale is $100k GST + $46k Stamp duty. They do that on our behalf and we benefit from it. Billions so far this year.
   Aspirational people want to work so they want to be where the jobs and educational opportunities for themselves and family are. They want to be near friends and community support and be able to get to work and education efficiently. For the environment's sake that should be by public transport.
   Fact! There will be 1 million more people living in Sydney in 10 years. If you don't like that then maybe Sydney or Melbourne shouldn't factor in your long term plans. Fighting appropriate individual developments one at a time won't stop it. I agree that jobs in the regions would be good and it has been unsuccessfully tried many times by govts of different persuasion. Eg Bathurst, Albury etc.
   Sometimes you have to stop the emotion (leafy green) and deal with the facts! High density development is not coming to every part of Epping just those areas close to the public amenity and infrastructure. The people are coming. How do we house them sustainably? Anywhere but Epping?

8. Jeez Rod, get a grip. Are you a "town planner" by any chance. You certainly seem to have taken my comments very personally. But I actually don't care for myself and family, as we already have somewhere else to live, when we decide to leave Sydney, and will be fortunate enough to still have a home here. I feel very sorry for the those who have no choice but to live in and/or beside these developments. There is no quality of life - we've experienced it for ourselves. Eventually, if not immediately, these towers will be full of renters, and will become ugly, neglected slums. But time will very definitely tell. Just one other thing - I note a bit of a nasty tone regarding Epping - it's degradation is merely following the likes of Strathfield and Chatswood, once beautiful garden suburbs too, so I get a bit cranky when I pick up the envious tone in your comments. Don't fret, Epping as a desirous, leafy northern suburb, great for families, is as good as gone.

9. Again you are just laying down more emotional NIMBY stuff. Read back over your earlier NIMBY ramblings which could have come straight out of a sensational tabloid newspaper! No facts or serious alternatives or solutions / suggestions! I think you might actually have a grip on something yourself!
   No I'm not a planner. But what if I was? Relevance?
   But I have thought about it quite a bit! I'm not dreaming, wishing and hoping like others!
   Like you my housing needs are already met in the area. I'm concerned for the future housing needs of my family. If housing supply is restricted in the way you and others emotionally and dreamily suggest here it will be the bush for our kids but still put prices up even further here. Hello! Supply and demand also works in Epping. We can't quarantine it from Epping unless you really are advocating some totalitarian anti migration system. That's another debate and not to be fought on the Epping battlefront.
   Again you fail to say specifically where these 1million new residents of Sydney will live!
   Anywhere but Epping is what I hear? Send 'em to the bush is the only bit I got.
   Think woman! It's time for thinking not wishing and dreaming! Have a go at me but how does that help the logic of your position? Broaden your reading material I suggest! Get in the car or on the train and have a look at some of the higher density areas of Sydney that work. Eastern Suburbs. The Inner City. Young people are clambering to get in there as renters or buyers. They love it. It can work! But get off the bandwagon and think for yourself rather than regurgitating this mindless tabloid hysteria! No one is picking on Epping. It's everywhere. Hey! We may not all like your dreamy / blurry vision of the future for Epping and in any event I haven't seen a credible plan or how to deliver it.

10. Please be focussed on the purpose of Planning Alerts. It is not a forum for diatribes on planning matters. Submissions specific to a DA are forwarded to Council. You either object or support with accompanying reasons.

11. Thanks Craig.

    I support the proposed development.
    It will provide a variety of much needed new housing near to the well established and serviced centre of Epping.
    Epping has readily available modern public transport providing good access for future residents to nearby employment centres at Macquarie Park and North Ryde.

    The application is consistent with modern sustainable planning initiatives that support densities and the growth of the city near good public transport. I think it should be approved ASAP.

12. Epping will survive just fine, like all other areas of Sydney undergoing high density transformations. I suggest those complaining about slums, overcrowding etc go visit China or India before making such ridiculous comments about the developments in Epping.

    The developments will be fine as long as schools can cope with the increase. These developments are popular because of their proximity to good public schools (Epping West Public, Cheltenham Girls).

13. Agree Vanessa! Well said.

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