Inner West Council has won a long battle against what it says is overdevelopment of the Balmain Leagues Club Site, with an appeal by developer Rozelle Village dismissed on all grounds by the NSW Land and Environment Court.

More importantly, it found that the development failed to promote the long-term viability of the Balmain Leagues Club on the site for the benefit of the local community.

Interim General Manager Rik Hart said that Council had fought to deliver a better outcome for the community and the club for years.

“Council’s top priority was always the return of the Balmain Leagues Club to Rozelle,” he said.

“A new home for the Club was one of the cornerstones of the rezoning of the site, first approved in 2008.

“Council tendered Court documents raising concerns about the ability of Balmain Leagues Club to enter into the lease with the owner given its financial position. It owes $11 million to the owner.

“Council fought for the Tigers to be offered a home at an affordable rent, however, the developer insisted on holding them to a commercial lease with a lower floor space than was permitted by the planning controls.”

Mr Hart said the Court would not normally concern itself with the user (Balmain Leagues Club) of a development proposal.

“But in this case it did, because of the way the planning controls were prepared and the requirement to promote the long-term viability of the Balmain Leagues Club on the site,” he said.

“The developer has constantly attempted to make Council responsible for the future of the Leagues Club.

“However, when it came down to it they did not provide the required security for the Club.”

The Court was not satisfied that the proposal complied with the objectives in site specific local environment plan, urban design, amenity, integration, and transition with existing development and street activation, economic impacts, traffic impacts, adequacy of solar access and cross ventilation.

The proponent now has an option to lodge a new application for the site.

Developer blames the Greens

In a response entitled “Balmain Tigers site needs resolution not Greens Party scaremongering”, developer lobby group the Urban Taskforce has put the blame squarely on the Greens’ shoulders.

The Land and Environment Court decision against the proposed development of two mid-rise towers on the site of the Balmain Tigers has been misused by the Greens Party to condemn urban development in inner city sites in Sydney, said the Urban Taskforce.

“The Land and Environment Court Commissioner agreed that the proposed redevelopment of the Balmain Tigers Leagues Club in Rozelle complied with height and massing requirements of the Leichhardt Local Environmental Plan 2000, but there were some design issues that could be improved,” Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson said.

“Despite the building height complying with the development controls of 12 and 8 storeys, Greens local member of parliament Jaime Parker said: ‘The decision sends a strong message to the developer that Rozelle doesn’t need skyscrapers.’

“It is important that projects of medium height at transport nodes and town centres are supported particularly if they comply with the relevant development controls. For the Greens Party to claim that the decision sends a message against skyscrapers is just scaremongering.

“The Greens often raise concerns about housing affordability in Sydney but do not seem to understand that stopping new housing developments will only increase the cost of housing in Sydney. It also seems ironic that the Greens are out campaigning to keep the 12 storey Sirius building in the Rocks but do not want buildings of this height in their own backyard.

“Sydney is a city in transition. Well designed, medium- and high-rise residential development in well-serviced locations, such as Rozelle, should be encouraged. Political leadership is needed to manage Sydney’s future growth particularly following the recent release of population projections showing stronger growth that earlier forecasts.

“The sad story of the Balmain Tigers Leagues Club site and the potential for an integrated, mixed use development that provided much needed housing, new club facilities and new retail outlets, is the sign of a dysfunctional planning system. Everyone loses, including the community, in the failure to achieve an acceptable solution for this site. Surely if height and massing fitted the planning rules, then the various parties could have negotiated suitable design outcomes to resolve years of indecision.”

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