HAWKESBURY Council has agreed to amend its voluntary planning agreement with Redbank, to allow more time for Redbank and Council to consult with the community about the future of Peel Park.
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The VPA between Council and Redbank has a number of ‘milestones’ for infrastructure and other developments to be delivered by.
The milestone for completion of the ‘improvements’ to Peel Park was when Redbank had sold its 601st lot.
At the May 29 Council meeting, councillors voted 10-1 to move that milestone to the 901st lot sold.
The milestone was moved so that Council and Redbank could continue community consultation with nearby landowners.
Redbank had previously met the conditions for the first two milestones as laid out in the VPA.
The Peel Park master plan will see the existing area given rectangular sporting field and netball courts, among other things.
The existing neighbours to the park, are unhappy about that, and would prefer that it remains as a large green space.
Beatriz Insausti, a neighbour, spoke at Council on May 29. She said she was pleased with how the consultation was going, but was still not keen on the master plan.
“We don’t want the existing park over developed so that the existing users of the park can continue to use it,” she said.
“We have had one major workshop and I believe the feedback from that has changed some of the items.
“The workshop we had was pretty good. They were quite open to having the community voice their opinions...but I would hope that we continue that consultation if the plans aren’t satisfactory.”
Councillors also discussed the fact that the Redbank development would swell the population west of the Hawkesbury River and the need for more sporting fields.
The existing Turnbull Oval was pointed to as a potential place for more sports to be held, however, Council’s Jeff Organ said Turnbull Oval was close to capacity now.
John Ross was the only councillor to vote against the motion to amend the milestones.
Emma-Jane Garrow declared a conflict of interest and left the chamber.
Mayor Lyons-Buckett, deputy Mayor Calvert and Crs Rasmussen, Reynolds, Wheeler, Kotlash, Zamprogno, Conolly, Tree and Richards voted in favour.
