2 months ago
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A $341 million plan to convert a shopping centre car park and a block of land once used as a drive-in cinema into a residential village has sparked backlash from a western Sydney community who fear it will ruin the area’s character and put the lives of kangaroos at risk.
More than 150 objections have been submitted in response to a proposal for a village with 482 apartments across 17 buildings in Caddens, east of Penrith, with one resident calling it “environmentally destructive”.
An artist’s impression of what the proposed residential village in Caddens will look like.Credit: GroupGSA
Developer Caddens Estate, part of Holdmark, lodged a state significant development application with the NSW government last year after original plans were refused by the Sydney western city planning panel in June 2024 due to being “totally inconsistent” with planning controls.
The new application has elicited a high volume of submissions from the community, with many saying the development will force a mob of kangaroos and other wildlife out of the area.
“The site and surrounding area are currently home to a range of native wildlife, including a local kangaroo population that relies on this open space as a natural habitat and movement corridor,” a submission from resident Sandra Garcia read.
“Large-scale development of this kind will result in the loss of remaining natural vegetation, forcing wildlife out of the area with no suitable relocation options.”
The development would be built on what is a car park for a shopping centre known as Caddens Corner, which opened in 2020, and a cleared vacant lot immediately behind it that was once occupied by the Kingswood drive-in cinema and Western Sydney University.
The car park where the development would be built. Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
The residential village would be divided into four shop-top buildings ranging between four and seven storeys, and 11 residential buildings also reaching up to seven storeys. Along with apartments, 15 per cent of which would be affordable housing, the development would also include commercial premises, a medical centre, basement carparks, an indoor recreation facility and a public plaza.
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Samantha Humphreys believes the development is “entirely out of character with Caddens” and that the existing infrastructure would be unable to cope with more residents.
“Caddens does not have the roads, parking, public transport or community facilities to support such a large influx of residents,” she said in her submission.
Of the 163 submissions received, only three supported the plan, with resident Aurelia Purwadi saying it would be a great addition to the community.
“This project would not only provide much needed housing options, but also revitalise our neighbourhood,” Purwadi said.
A spokesperson for Holdmark said extensive community engagement occurred throughout the application process and that submissions would soon be assessed.
“This project will see the activation and protection of local woodlands, extensive public parks and an outdoor community urban plaza, symbolic of the sites previous use as a drive-in cinema,” they said.
“The site will create much-needed housing including affordable accommodation for local key workers.”
The Sydney Morning Herald has a bureau in the heart of Parramatta. Email [email protected] with news tips.
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