Bid to 'upsize' development of former Caringbah High School land to provide 686 units

The move to add an extra 243 more apartments to plans approved two years ago by the Land and Environment Court has angered local residents, who are particularly concerned about traffic in Willarong Road.

A development application (DA) with revised plans for the project, with a $142 million construction cost, was lodged with Sutherland Shire Council in December.

The units would be spread across nine buildings, ranging in height from 5 to 11 storeys, with below-ground parking accessed by an internal road.

Fifty per cent of the apartments would be dedicated affordable rental housing for essential workers for at least 15 years.

If approved, the development will be one of the biggest in Sutherland Shire.

Woolooware Bay Town Centre will have 898 units (636 already built on the western side) and South Village Kirrawee has 779 apartments. Both projects include shopping centres.

Resident Tony Day said Willarong Road was already very busy, particularly at school starting and finishing times when about 900 Caringbah High students arrived and departed.

"If these plans get through, you can forget about trying to get out of your driveway in peak hour," he said.

Mr Day said the school did not have an opportunity to put in a submission as the DA was lodged after the school broke up at the end of last year and submissions were due to close on on January 30.

Resident Angie Wilcock said, "Despite the many, varied and valid objections raised by local residents over several years, one major point seems to have been overlooked".

"The distance between the corner of Kingsway and Willarong Road and the boundary of Caringbah High School is 550 metres," she said.

"The school grounds and industrial sites on the opposite side of the street occupy the remaining 150 metres to Captain Cook Drive.

"Locals understand that we live in a high density zoning, however this stretch of 550 metres is already overdeveloped.

"The total number of existing, under construction and approved for construction medium/high density dwellings is 760.

"This number does not include the proposed construction of the additional 686 units. All dwellings require access to and from Willarong Road.

"Should approval be granted for this construction, our 550 metres of road will be occupied by some 1450 medium/high density dwellings, as well as several remaining single dwellings.

"The school grounds and industrial sites on the opposite side of the street occupy the remaining 150

"Add to this the 900 students attending Caringbah High School. Parent drop-off and pick-up, as well pedestrian access to and from the rail station, only adds to the congestion.

"We live in hope common sense will prevail, and this proposal will be rejected."

The DA seeks a variation of nearly seven metres above the LEP 30 metre height limit, which is less than previously approved by the court but with a bigger footprint.

The taller buildings would be clustered towards the centre of the site.

The Education Department sold the surplus school land for about $20 million in 2012.

After initial development plans were refused, the land owner successfully appealed to the Land and Environment Court.

In February 2022, development consent was given for the adjoining Caringbah Bowling Club site.

The $70 million Caringbah Greens development will provide 244 apartments.