This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
THE NSW Department of Planning and Environment has granted Lendlease approval for the Gilead masterplanned community in south-west Sydney, in a major win for environmental conservation.
The approval will result in half of the 495 hectare site rezoned for land conservation, with the balance approved to deliver 3,300 homes.
Since the public exhibition of the planning proposal, additional conservation land has been included, with more canopy trees retained within the conservation and recreational areas. The rezoned conservation areas on the Gilead site will contribute to Campbelltown’s first and only protected east-west koala corridors between the Georges and Nepean rivers.
The Gilead development has been controversial, prompting Australian Ethical to divest its stake in Lendlease last year due to a lack of transparency about the protection of koala colonies, after it called on Lendlease to align the development with the recommendations of the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer and other experts to include important protection measures for koalas.
Photo: Australian Ethical
Lendlease head of NSW communities Brendan O’Brien said the Gilead masterplanned community in Campbelltown will help to address a critical shortage of new and affordable homes in south-west Sydney, while delivering important conservation measures for the local koala population.
“Rezoning approval is a major planning milestone that will see more than half of the 495 hectare site rezoned for environmental conservation, while delivering thousands more homes in Campbelltown – Macarthur,” he added.
The koala corridor locations and widths that intersect with the Gilead site have been determined by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, which has confirmed to Lendlease that the corridors meet the recommendations of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer in terms of width and connectivity.
Every conservation measure proposed by the project is fully funded and follows the advice of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer’s panel of independent koala experts.
Together with green open space, The Gilead community will also feature connected parklands, community and education facilities, and a local village shopping centre.
It is expected to create $1 billion in construction works and as well as 2,000 jobs over the construction period of the project.
Stage 1 of the adjacent development, Figtree Hill, has been popular with buyers since launching early last year, with all 450 available lots now sold.
