A NUMBER of Kogarah residents' associations have joined forces to declare war on Kogarah Council and proposed changes to its Local Environmental Plan (LEP) which, if adopted, will see more high-rise and increased density.
The United Kogarah City Residents Association is made up of Community Group Carlton, Kogarah Bay & Carss Park, Friends of Oatley, Georges River Environmental Alliance, Kogarah Bay Progress Association, Kogarah Residents Association and Kyle Bay Residents Association.
They have organised a November 16 meeting to discuss proposed changes which they say have been drawn up without public consultation or enough thought.
If adopted, they said the changes would cause long-term problems, including over-population and loss of amenity.
The LEP changes were drawn up by the council to meet future housing needs set by the state government.
They include 12-storey buildings in Kogarah and Hurstville; five- to seven-storey residential zones around most commercial centres and along railway and road corridors; rezoning of foreshore and waterfront scenic protection areas for dual occupancy development and the increase of lot numbers by reducing the minimum block sizes.
Association spokesman Tony Soubris said it wanted to make residents aware of what was at stake before the changes went on public exhibition. He said the association feared that if it was exhibited close to the holiday period it could pass unnoticed.
"If the council wanted community support for the proposed significant changes to the Kogarah LEP 2012, it should have consulted with the peak community groups that are now united in opposition," Mr Soubris said.
He said the council failed to consider other potential problems that could result, including no additional open space for an increased population; loss of privacy and overshadowing from multi-storey buildings in low-scale residential areas; parking problems, traffic congestion and gridlock; abolition of foreshore and waterfront scenic protection areas; and more dwellings than set by the government's metropolitan plan.
"We believe that this is a major issue facing our community and that the unification of all local groups is unprecedented and a reflection of the fact that the whole community is concerned," Mr Soubris said.
What sort of development would you like to see at Kogarah?
