Rozelle Village blames council, government

Rozelle Village blames council, government

The managing director of Rozelle Village, Ian Wright, says the fiasco surrounding the ill-fated development can be traced back to a meeting he had with then Mayor of Leichhardt Jamie Parker in 2010.

The meeting regarded  Joint Regional Planning Panel decision to refuse a 12-storey development on the old Balmain Leagues Club site, a project which Mr Wright describes as “essentially complying” with the Local Environment Plan.

Mr Wright alleges Mr Parker and Margaret Lyons, Leichhardt Council’s chief legal officer, indicated that the proposal would “never work”. That was the moment the developer appealed to Macquarie Street, under the planning law provision then known as Part 3A.

“We had no other option but to ask for the state government to declare it state significant,” he said.

While “this disaster starts with Leichhardt Council”, Mr Wright apportions much of the blame to the state government. The Department of Planning last week advised the independent Planning and Assessment Commission to reject the proposal. Mr Wright argues it was nonsensical for the planning department to declare the revised 20-storey proposal as state significant but oppose it three years later.

The PAC will now determine the fate of Rozelle Village. Mr Wright said the company would assess its options if and when the proposal is rejected. He said a lesser development of 12 or fewer storeys is “not feasible”.

“Our position is that there must be a viable development approval on that site,” he said. “There is no point in a consent authority giving approval for a project that can’t be built.”

In an interview, Mr Parker comprehensively rejected Mr Wright’s claims and said the independent JRPP unanimously voted down the 12-storey proposal in 2010. He said it was ludicrous to think that a Leichhardt councillor could in any way unilaterally influence the panel’s decision. The LEP considers matters other than height, Mr Parker said, including bulk and traffic impacts.

“It’s not just about how big it is, it’s about the intensification of use,” he said.

Mr Parker called on Rozelle Village to listen to the advice of the planning department and submit a reasonable plan.

“It’s very disappointing that there isn’t an appropriate development for that site,” he said. “It’s clear that a development needs to happen, but skyscrapers in Rozelle was never going to be approved.”

Coinciding with the planning department’s decision was Rozelle Village’s attempt to place Balmain Leagues Club into administration. The developer loaned the club millions of dollars to assist in its temporary relocation while the development was approved and built – a process that is now dragging on far longer than could have been anticipated.

Defending Rozelle Village’s actions, Mr Wright said the dire state of the club’s finances had only recently become clear.

“We need to get to the bottom of the financial mess to find out the way forward.”

But the club successfully pursued an injunction against the developer’s move. The case will be back in the NSW Supreme Court on Friday, ahead of a full hearing in May.

Danny Munk, spokesperson for Balmain Leagues Club, said the events of last week – including the rejection of Rozelle Village’s proposal – were “not what we wanted to see”. He indicated the club could support any solution that will allow them to return to the site, including a 20-storey tower.

“The developer makes the choice on how big it is and how many levels,” he said. “The right development will be a huge plus to the area.”

Mr Munk said he wanted to work with Rozelle Village on a constructive outcome and hoped to avoid further legal action.

“Ending up in court to make the decision doesn’t always give you the best outcome.”

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