Taronga Zoo - Institute of Science and Learning

This development application is the latest in a series of developments that have been going on at this site for decades. Each development has had at its core the desire to either increase patronage, extend operating hours or otherwise promote the operations of the Zoo.
Never do these developments take into account the traffic or parking effects that they have upon local residents. And as anyone who has recently attended the Zoo in any of its peak patronage periods will attest, the traffic and parking problems are already dire.
It is so bad that on many weekends and public holidays residents cannot park anywhere near their houses and the traffic in and out of the area is diabolical.
The problem arises because the Zoo is on a peninsular in a heavily populated area with very limited road access and a great number of their patrons insist on visiting by car. The on-site parking is lamentably insufficient for peak periods and the neighbouring streets are inundated by cars for up to a kilometre on really heavy days.
I note that the proposal includes the prospect of "overnight stays". I am not sure exactly what that might encompass, but given the Zoo's propensity to " develop by stealth" over the years, the logical next step in that line of thought would be the establishment of some more formal "overnight staying arrangements" i.e. a hotel.
Given that the Zoo obviously thinks that it needs to keep developing its business model I would suggest that the time has come for it to start looking for a more suitable site which will allow it to fulfil future development requirements without overburdening an already stressed neighbourhood.
I am sure there are plenty of potential sites with suitable public transport access closer towards the demographic centre of Sydney.
The sale for housing of the existing site would surely fund such a move.

I object to this development on the grounds of continued overdevelopment and traffic burden. Taronga Zoo is a small inner-city zoo and this was fully acknowledged during the government processes leading to the establishment of Dubbo Zoo. To now turn around and rubber stamp yet another expansion is irrational. Recent expansion has already meant more buildings and removal of swathes of trees. This all has to stop. Traffic on popular zoo days already causes traffic congestion in the area to the extent thyat locals cannot get to the ferry wharf without getting stuck in the traffic queue leading to the carpark which is badly designed by having the boom gate so close to Bradleys Head Road so as not to allow any queueg traffic to get off the main road. To now build a three storey building and associated work is arrogant and being a bad neighbour - a government-backed bully................

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