Redbank Development, Grose Vale Road, North Richmond

At its meeting on Tuesday, 27 June 2017, Hawkesbury City Council considered a report in relation to the proposed link road from Grose Vale Road, North Richmond to Springwood Road, Yarramundi – across the Grose River. The report considered confidential legal advice provided in relation to the Redbank Voluntary Planning Agreement between Council, Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) and North Richmond Joint Venture.

The report also considered matters in relation to:

 The complex approval process associated with the existing bridge proposal, which includes a new bridge across Navua Reserve – a combination of Crown Land and Council land

 The need to create opportunities for negotiation to ensure that all design details for the new link road and bridge can be fully explored.

In order to balance potentially competing objectives and provide sufficient negotiating room to finalise the details of the project, Council resolved unanimously to adopt the project milestones for the new bridge – as originally exhibited in 2013.

The Mayor of Hawkesbury, Councillor Mary Lyons-Buckett explained that the Redbank Development is a “complex matter with a long history”.

“The real challenge is to balance the various points of view within the community,” Councillor Mary Lyons- Buckett said.

“During the course of last night’s Council Meeting, Councillors worked methodically through all of the issues and reached a unanimous decision, the overall objective of which is to deliver a good outcome for the community.”

The specific details of the Council Resolution are as follows:

That Council:

1. Advise the Developer that Council does not agree with their request, dated 20 February 2017, to pay the Monetary Contribution for the ‘New Proposed Bridge (Multispan)’ under the provisions of Clause 7.2(e)(i)(B) of the Redbank Voluntary Planning Agreement.

2. Note that there have been no monetary contributions made by the Developer for the bridge works to date. If the Redbank Voluntary Planning Agreement Monetary Contribution payment provisions for the bridge works are pursued they would be made as the development proceeds. The total funds would not be payable for approximately five or more years and that, under the provisions of the Voluntary Planning Agreement, RMS would receive 95% of those funds with Council receiving 5% of that contribution.

3. Agree to amend the Milestone in Schedule 2, Table 1, Item 1.2 (approval Milestone for New Proposed Bridge (Multispan)) of the Redbank Voluntary Planning Agreement to the

following:

 Milestone 2: amend from 341 st Urban Lot to 701 st Urban Lot.

4. Agree to amend the Milestone in Schedule 2, Table 1, Item 1.3 (operational <Milestone for the New Proposed Bridge (Multispan)) of the Redbank Voluntary Planning Agreement to the following:

 Amend the ‘T ming’ in Column 3 for the practical completion of the works from 641 st Urban Lot to 1001 st Urban Lot.

5. Agree to amend Schedule 2, Table 1, Column 2, Item 1.6b (Milestone for the provision of an allotment for a Child Care Centre) of the Redbank Voluntary Planning Agreement by replacing 301 st Urban Lot to 601 st Urban Lot.

6. Seek the agreement of the Developer and the RMS as parties to the Redbank Voluntary Planning Agreement to the amendment of the milestone changes outlined above.

7. Confirm Council’s position on the bridge over the Grose River and the Redbank Voluntary Planning Agreement, namely:

 Council has engaged independent consultants to review traffic studies in respect of the link road over the Grose River.

 The location of the current proposed link road is subject to flooding.

 Council is working with the RMS to investigate options for the construction of a link across the Grose River.

 The parties to the Redbank Voluntary Planning Agreement are not in dispute.

 The application submitted to Council by the Developer for the bridge works in the Redbank Voluntary Planning Agreement was submitted to Council in August 2016 and is currently being assessed against the relevant environmental and planning legislation.

 The work to amend the current Plans of Management for the Navua and Yarramundi Reserves is underway. Any draft amendment will be reported to Council prior to public exhibition.

 Council and the RMS, as parties to the Redbank Voluntary Planning Agreement, have not agreed to the Developer making a monetary contribution in lieu of constructing the bridge works.

 No monetary contributions for the bridge works have been made to date. Under the provisions of the Redbank Voluntary Planning Agreement any monetary contributions are progressive and not made in a lump sum. The full contribution, should that option be pursued, would not be made or available for at least five or more years.

 If the monetary contribution was accepted by Council and the RMS the provisions of the Redbank Voluntary Planning Agreement require approximately 95% of those funds to be made to the RMS for unspecified works with only 5% being available to Council for local roads.

 Any monetary contribution cannot be utilised on other works or used by the RMS or Council to construct a bridge.