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We encourage you to ‘spread the word’ amongst neighbours, family and friends and to personally write to/email the council regarding the proposed development.
Please note that individuals living in the same household can write separately, as long as your letter is slightly different. This will then count as two separate submissions, rather than the one submission (ie. from two people). It's the number of separate submissions received that counts, not the number of people who have written in. It's also very important to realise that you should still write a submission even if you've signed a petition. (Please see 'The importance of writing to council' under the latest news section of this website.)
You need to state your full name and address on your letter/email for it to count.
We know there are a lot of our neighbours still away on holidays so please knock on their door when they come home.
Please send your complaint letters directly to Sutherland Shire Council to register your opinion. Also request an invitation to the proposed Public Information Night and allow three working days for council to confirm you may be invited.
Sutherland Shire Council Contact Details
Postal Address Locked Bag 17, Sutherland 1499
Phone 9710 0333
Email ssc@ssc.nsw.gov.au
Fax 9710 0265
All contact details for local, state and Federal Councillors and MPs can be found here
Forum Drive is a narrow street backing onto National Park, which until now has only needed to service the traffic of the handful of residents cars but now this quiet street, and surrounding streets, will be inundated with hundreds of vehicles on a regular basis, including buses, often earlier than 6am.
The Heathcote residents have joined together to oppose this, and any other development of its kind based on:
- Lives being placed in danger during bush fire periods.
- Traffic impact in quiet streets.
- A negative impact on the peace of this quiet neighbourhood.
- Bush conservation threats.
There are also some serious questions which need to asked ofthose involved, including government, in what appears to be a cloak of secrecy surrounding the acquisition, planning and timing of the development application.
This story was covered on Channel 9's 'A Current Affair' program on Tuesday 10th January, and by the Sutherland Shire Leader on Thursday 12th January (see link above).
Key Concerns:
The Heathcote residents are primarily concerned about the impact a 900 seat capacity building in a quiet residential area would cause to:
- Bushfire: As this bush area is a high bushfire danger zone the residents are seriously concerned as to that danger, particularly when there is an evacuation which could clearly place lives at risk.
- Cars & Traffic: A significant increase in traffic would affect the peaceful living enjoyed by the local families and have a negative impact on their health and safety. It would also greatly increase pollution and have a subsequent impact on the environment.
- Conservation of an existing bush area: There is significant concern about the nature of a large development on surrounding native bush land and wildlife. Access to the National Park for public use is unclear.
The residents of Heathcote wish to stress that are not opposing a religious group but opposing an inappropriate development in an existing quiet family residential area.
The Heathcote Residents are calling on Sutherland Shire Council to reject the development application to build a meeting hall/place of public worship with capacity to hold 900 people in Forum Drive, Heathcote, NSW.
This applies to any future development applications relating to this type of development.
They believe this is an inappropriate development and is completely out of character for the area.
The latest story on A Current Affair - Feb 28
Click here to see the first story on Channel Nine's A Current Affair
More A Current Affair coverage of the Exclusive Brethren - February 8
Channel Ten news coverage - February 6
St George & Sutherland Shire Leader story - January 26
St George & Sutherland Shire Leader story - January 12
HOW YOU CAN HELP
We’d love to hear from you if you think you can help us with:
- distributing and collecting petitions in Engadine/Heathcote shopping centres;
- letterbox drops, photocopying, doorknocking with petitions
- professional assistance or services – eg. legal advice, printing services
You can contact us via email on heathcoteresidents@gmail.com
IMPORTANT LINKS
- Petition
- Neighbour Notification Letter
- Proposed Plan
- Statement of Environmental Effects
- Urban Design Statement
- Ecological Impact Assessent Report
- Bushfire Protection Report
- Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment Report
Click for a full sized image of the DA.
Click here for the council's website to view the plans.
To see them select the 'Agree' button at the bottom of the Terms and Conditions (so long as you do agree to them!)
On the next screen, in the Application Number box enter
DA11/1270 and press 'Search'.
On the next screen select the 'Show' button.
You can click the grey up and down arrows to expand and contract each section of the application.
Closing Date for viewing the plans and writing to the council is 31st January 2012.