Minarah College

Re: Minarah College concerns –
https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/minarah-college

Until the local Council or State Government complete holistic strategic planning and infrastructure delivery for the region, development of this scale and impact should not be accepted or endorsed. The flow on effects for the local community will be significant and therefore the project is not in the public interest.
The flood map is a concern (attached).
The flood assessment within Appendix P - Overland Flow Assessment & FERP has excluded flood mapping for any depth of flood waters below 50mm despite the flood hazard curve identifying flows of 2m/s are H5 regardless of the depth. Further information is required to understand the full extent of the impact on the southern boundary where the majority of the overland flow impacts occur.

The flood mapping also shows ponding of water within the site in the 1% AEP and PMF flood events. This issue should not be deferred as the impact is currently not resolved and so the Department would not be able to make an informed assessment of the risk to students in a flood event.

In the PMF and 1% AEP events, the overland flood water will run onto Catherine Fields Road which is affected up to the hazard category H5. The proposed stormwater and swale will funnel all of the water and discharge directly onto the road.

Appendix P fails to discuss the conditions on the site during a PMF event although this is the flood event that has the potential to cause the greatest impact. The images below show the flood risk with the proposed development which shows H5-H6 along the southern boundary.

SES's latest submission states:

"However, the flood risk at the site consists of overland flow at the site and the potential of isolation in relatively frequent events, even after the proposed drainage works, as areas to the east and west are subject to flooding from South Creek and Rileys Creek."

Based on appendix appendix L – I object to Minarah College

Reasons why I OBJECT to the Proposal
• Traffic, Transport & Accessibility
• I OBJECT against the proposal “Minarah College” (Application Number SSD-30759158) because I do not believe that the SEARs requirements of 9. Traffic, Transport & Accessibility have been satisfied. If the Minarah College proposal goes ahead, this will cause major disruption to the residents of Catherine Fields. Increased traffic flow will cause major disruption to families trying to take children to school in the morning and afternoon pickup from school. Furthermore, families travelling to work in the morning will be greatly impacted by the increased volume of traffic as well. For an example if Minarah College goes ahead, I will need to leave my home before 7 am to get children at school on time at Oran Park and then travel back to Catherine Fields to get onto Bringelly Road before the cars and busses start coming into Catherine Fields with the School Children for Minarah College. This will also mean I will need to leave my children unattended at the school for 1 hour, jeopardising their safety in order for me to get to work on time. If I was to get caught in the traffic congestion that will be created by the school, for example I will get to work very late and then lose my job. The school will have a profound impact on my life and the life of my children. This will not be sustainable in the long run for me and my family. Other families living in the area will have the same problem.

• Of major concern is that as the roads in Catherine Field are only single lane roads, the exit to Bringelly Road or Camden Valley Way Road will be clogged up with the cars from parents and buses coming and going from Minarah College. Minarah College, is planned to accommodate 980 students and 50 full time teachers. That’s a lot of cars and buses coming into Catherine Field and lining the streets to exit Catherine Fields. I am highly concerned of the long wait times, I and other families in the Catherine Field area will have to endure. “We will be stuck” in our own street trying to get children to school and ourselves to work”.

• In addition, I am concerned of my ability to get to work on time and my children to school on time. I am concerned of loss of employment as a direct consequence of being late to work and children receiving late notes from the school for being late to school at no fault of their own. How is this fair.

• If the state government passes the Monarah College proposal, it would cause so much disruption and heart ache to the residents of Catherine Fields.

• This is very unfair for the State Government and the Dept of Planning to place such a hardship on the residents of Catherine Fields.

On this basis I STRONLY Object to the Minarah College proposal.

• Noise & Vibration
• I am concerned of the increased noise pollution in the area. I am concerned with the impact increased noise pollution will have on the environment and wildlife.
• I am concerned with the increased vibration from the construction of the school and increased traffic flows and the impact this will have on the houses surrounding the area. Concerned with the cracks that occur in homes and foundations of properties due to too much vibrations.

On this basis I STRONLY Object to the Minarah College proposal.

• Social Impact:

• I OBJECT against the proposal “Minarah College” (Application Number SSD-30759158) because the proposal is out of character to the area, as it is altering a rural landscape to one of commercial. We the residents of catherine Fields want Catherine Fields to remain “predominantly rural”.

HELP PRESERVE CATHERINE FIELDS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

• I chose to live in Catherine Field because its rural and have lived here for 17 years, enjoying, and appreciating the beautiful rural region with my husband and children. Since the day we heard about the Minarah College proposal, we now live in fear that this proposal will greatly transform and ruin this beautiful rural place we have lived in and will take away and transform Catherine Field into something commercial.

• As residents of Catherine Field, we are left feeling that our rights and wants are no longer valued and ignored by both local and state government. How can state and local governments stand by and cause such heart ache to the residents of Catherine Fields. When has it become ok that those with deep pockets can go about their business and change and ruin a beautiful rural area and the poor residents from Catherine Fields, most from working class families, farmers, elderly people feel that they have no rights because they do not have deep pockets to fight such cashed up organizations. This is so not Australian. THIS IS NOT RIGHT.

On this basis I STRONLY Object to the Minarah College proposal.

• Social Impact: The Catherine Field community does not have a Fijian Muslim community residing in it. It simply doesn’t exist. The Minarah College will be serving a community that resides outside of Catherine Field. Hence, the people residing in Catherine Field will not benefit from this school, Minarah College.
• Suitability of site location as it is not within an area

The character of Catherine Fields is rural. The Minarah College Campus will dominate the area and change the character of Catherine Fields. For this reason, the proposed development does not fit within the established character of the Catherine Field area and is considered out of context for the locality.

The proposed development Minarah College Campus will further contribute to Loss of good quality agricultural land.

• Plenty of Schools in the Area There are plenty of schools in the area that the children of Minarah College can attend, Unity Grammar at Leppington, Bellfield College at Rossmore, Narellan Vale High School, Oran Park Public and Oran Park High School, Macathur Anglican and Rosemore Public School. Barramurra Public School (K-6) at 65 O’Keefe Drive, Oran Park is approximately 3.2 km and 5.2km driving from the subject site. Gledswood Hills Public School (K-6) at 78 The Hermitage Way, Gledswoods Hills, approximately 3.2 km and 4.2km driving distance from the subject site. St Justin’s Catholic Parish Primary School (K-6) 3 Hollows Drive Oran Park approx. 3.5km and 5.7 km driving distance from the subject site.

• Flooding. Catherine Fields is prone to flooding. Last year’s flood saw the closure of Catherine Fields Road and Antony Road. This will impact the ability of the children of Minarah College to get to school as result of the road closures caused by the flooding? How will the safety of the children of Minarah College be guaranteed? If a flood occurs during the day the children will be stranded at the school. Their parents will not be able to pick them up due to road closures as it will be deemed unsafe.
• There are no streetlights in Catherine Fields. At night it is very hard to see flooded roads. The school proposes to open till 10 pm. The safety of the people attending Minarah College at night also will be jeopardized. Two years ago, a man died on Antony Road as he drove into the flood waters that were not visible due to no street lighting in the area. This could happen again.
• Parking - The proposal put forward by Minarah College falls short in regards to addressing the issue of parking. The School parking proposed by Minarh College will be insufficient to carter for all the students and their families attending the college plus all the teachers. It will be unacceptable for the students, teachers and their families from Minarah College to park on the properties of residents living in the Catherine Field area. This is what will happen. Just look at what happened at Leppington Train Station, at Austral with "Unity Grammar" and at Rossmore with "Bellfield College". So many cars in front of people’s properties, traffic congestion everywhere, a nightmare for all residents.
• Environmental Impact – Minarah College in their second proposal still have not properly addressed the environmental impact in Catherine Fields if the school goes ahead. Again, this was not adequately addressed in the first submission to department of planning either. If the proposal for Minarah College goes ahead it will have a devasting impact on the water ways and creeks in the area and the wildlife and animals that live in the area. State Government and Department of planning, “HELP PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT IN CATHERINE FIELDS. HELP SAVE THE WILDLIFE THAT CALL CATHERINE FIELDS THEIR HOME” AND THE PLANTS/FODDER GROWING IN THE AREA.
• Governments talk about the importance of protecting and conserving the environment, its eco systems and wildlife. If this submission (Application Number SSD-30759158) goes ahead it will ruin the beautiful environment in Catherine Field. With the developments in Oran Park, Harrington Park, Gregory Hills, Smeaton Grange, many animals, and wildlife have become displaced. This is evident today by the fact that in Catherine Fields you see so many red belly black snakes, brown snakes, turtles, wallabies, and kangaroos roaming in the area. 10 years ago, this was not the case. Why? Because their natural habitat has been taken away and destroyed because developers and governments are more interested in making money then preserving and protecting the environment.

• As a government, please consider not approving the “Minarah College” proposal as once the development goes ahead, the place is destroyed and the beauty that was once Catherine Fields will be gone forever and can never be returned. Please leave Catherine Filed as a “rural, unplanned and unserved” area with no College/School in it.


• I STRONLY Object to the Minarah College proposal, because of the lack of accurate information being provided in its reports making up the proposal.

Dear Sir/Madam
I Object against the proposed school "Minarah College" for the following reasons;
(a) Traffic & Parking - Catherine Fields does not have the infrastructure to support 980 students and 51 staff. There are only single lane roads. This will create a lot of traffic congestion in Catherine Fields. It will make it very difficult for residents to go in and out of their properties during peak times. It will make it difficult for the residents trying to get their kids to school on time or trying to get to work on time. Life in Catherine Fields will become a nightmare if the proposed Minarah College goes ahead.

(b) Safety Concerns for the Children and Residents of Catherine Fields if the proposed Minarah College goes ahead. With the influx of traffic arising from 980 students plus their families plus 51 teachers coming to the school. There will be a lot of cars in Catherine Fields at the one time. There are no traffic lights in Catherine Fields to enable children and residents to cross the road safely. Instead, children and residents will need to put there own lives at risk trying to get to the other side of the road and avoid being hit by the large volume of cars and buses that will now frequent the area. Also, there are so many potholes in Catherine Fields. It’s an accident waiting to happen.

(c) Plenty of Other Schools in the Area. Barramurra Public School (K-6) at 65 O’Keefe Drive, Oran Park is approximately 3.2 km and 5.2km driving from the subject site. Gledswood Hills Public School (K-6) at 78 The Hermitage Way, Gledswoods Hills, approximately 3.2 km and 4.2km driving distance from the subject site. St Justin’s Catholic Parish Primary School (K-6) 3 Hollows Drive Oran Park approx. 3.5km and 5.7 km driving distance from the subject site.

(d) Environmental Impact - Governments talk about the importance of protecting and conserving the environment, its eco systems and wildlife. If this submission goes ahead it will ruin the beautiful environment in Catherine Field. With the developments in Oran Park, Harrington Park, Gregory Hills, Smeaton Grange, many animals, and wildlife have become displaced. This is evident today by the fact that in Catherine Fields you see so many red belly black snakes, brown snakes, turtles, wallabies, and kangaroos roaming in the area. 10 years ago, this was not the case. Why? Because their natural habitat has been taken away and destroyed because developers and governments are more interested in making money then preserving and protecting the environment.

(e) Flooding – Parts of the proposed school “Minarah College” are sited within the flood prone area. This will be unsafe for the students, staff and the greater school community. How will the safety of the children at Minarah College be assured. Also, at night, there are no streetlights in Catherine Fields. At night it is very difficult to see the flooded road. The school is opened till 10 pm. The safety of the people attending Minarah College at night also will be jeopardized

(f) Poor Infrastructure – Catherine Fields has poor infrastructure in place to cope with a school holding 980 students and 51 fulltime students.

(g) Future Expansion of the School. As a resident of Catherine Fields I am concerned with the future expansion of the school. The size of the buildings are very large to house 980 students and 51 full time teachers. This means that the school will aim to expand in the future. I am concerned that people in the area will lose parts of there rural properties to make way for widening of the roads. This will be unfair and unjust to the residents of Catherine Fields. Traffic problems in the future will just worsen.


(h) Parking Concerns - Minarah College proposal falls short regarding adequately addressing the issue regarding parking in the area. There will be insufficient parking in Catherine Fields to cater for the 980 students plus there families plus 51 full time teachers attending the college on a daily basis. There is not enough parking on the school grounds to cater for the number of students and teachers attending the school. Will Catherine Fields turn out like Leppington Train Station where cars are parked on people’s properties. This will be unacceptable to have teaches and students parked on peoples rural properties. Also, the department of planning should take into consideration the impact on the communities of Austral after the school Unity Grammer was built and the impact on residents at Rossmore after the school at Belfield was built. The social impact on the communities residing in these areas has been disastrous and very distressing. Please don’t allow the same thing to happen at Catherine Fields. Please avoid brining the same issues experienced by the residents of Austral, Leppington and Rossmore to Catherine Fields.

• As a young person living in Catherine Fields, I strongly object to the proposal to build Minarah College in our area for the following reasons;

• Traffic Issues – Per the proposal the school will hold 980 students and 51 fulltime staff. The proposal fails to indicate the number of parttime or casual workers that will also be onsite at the school. This means that Catherine Fields, a rural area, known to council and state governments as having very little infrastructure in place would need to cope with an influx of 980 + 51 = 1031 people coming into its streets. The roads in Catherine Field are only single lane roads with many large potholes everywhere. The traffic issues that Minarah College will create in Catherine Fields will be enormous. Springfield Field Road, Catherine Fields Road and Deepfields Road would all become blocked by cars and buses travelling to the Minarah College. I will be greatly impacted by this traffic congestion as it will impact my ability to get to school in Oran Park on time. This would mean I will need to get to school at least 1 hour early, to miss the Minarah traffic. How is this fair on me? That means I will be at school one hour early with no supervision in place. My safety is also jeopardised as a result. Also, the bus comes on Catherine Fields Road at 7.30am to pick up the kids for the schools in Oran Park. There are no early buses that come in the area, this would mean that for me to be able to get to school on time I would now need to rely on my parents to take me to school. This is not progress. The school’s proposal fails to take into consideration the long-term impact Minarah College will have on the children that live in Catherine Fields and there ability to get to school on time and also fails to take into the consideration the social impact it will have on families living in Catherine Fields. The level of stress and anxiety that families would now need to endure.
• Flooding & Safety – Where Minarah College is located, parts of the school are prone to flooding. In addition to this parts of Catherine Fields floods and Antony Road also is subject to flooding. During heavy and persistent rainfall, the creeks overflow onto the roads and the roads are subsequently closed. If the school children are coming in from Bringelly Road, they will need to drive through Antony Road. If Antony Road is flooded and the road is closed, the children will not be able to get to school. The proposal put forward by Minarah College does not address the safety issues for the children of Minarah College. As a young person I am concerned for the safety of other school children. Also, the proposal mentions the school will be opened to 10pm each day. Catherine Fields has no street lighting. It becomes increasing hard/virtually impossible to see flood waters in the dark. A man died two years ago on Antony Road after he drove into flood waters at night. This may happen again especially to people living outside the area that are not familiar with Catherine Fields. The dept of planning needs to take the flooding issue in Catherine Fields very seriously and not throw it under the carpet. Children’s lives are at risk here. Safety should be the number one priority.

• Environmental Impact – At school we are taught to look after the environment and help nurture the environment to help it flourish. The proposal put forward by Minarah College goes against the teachings we are taught at school. The construction of the school will adversely affect the environment in Catherine Fields. Wildlife, animals and plants will all be impacted. Impacted by the increased in pollution coming from the many cars and buses coming into the area to transport 980 kids and 51 staff. Impacted by the destruction of gum trees to allow for buildings to be built. Impacted by the volume of cars that will be in the area at the one time and the likely hood of animals and wildlife being killed is enormous. Impacted by the increased noise pollution that will be created with additional 980 school children and 51 staff. Impacted by poor sewage systems in the area. Effluent Management System in Catherine Fields is insufficient for the number of people that will be on site on Minarah College. Impact on the South Creek located in Catherine Fields, having to now deal with overruns of sewerage from the tall buildings.

• The department of planning as well as the State Government need to seriously factor in the Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts the school will have on the community of Catherine Fields and especially the children of Catherine Fields. As a young person I beg the state government and the department of planning to help save and preserve Catherine Fields for future generations by not allowing Minarah College to go ahead. PLEASE HELP PROTECT AND PESERVE CATHERINE FIELDS.

• Increased Traffic – I am concerned that if the Minarah College proposal goes ahead, this will cause major disruption to the residents of Catherine Fields. Increased traffic flow will cause major disruption to families trying to take children to school in the morning and afternoon pickup from school. Furthermore, families travelling to work in the morning will be greatly impacted by the increased volume of traffic as well.

• Lack of Infrastructure in Catherine Fields - Of major concern is that as the roads in Catherine Field are only single lane roads, the exit to Bringelly Road or Camden Valley Way Road will be clogged up with the cars from parents and buses coming and going from Minarah College. Minarah College, is planned to accommodate 980 students. That’s a lot of cars and buses coming into Catherine Field and lining the streets to exit Catherine Fields. I am highly concerned of the long wait times.
• Safety Concerns - The increased volume of traffic into Catherine Fields will put peoples lives at risk and properties and people in danger. For instance, if there is an emergency such as fire, health, or safety in Catherine Fields. Fire trucks will not be able to get through to save lives and property, ambulance will not be able to get through to save lives and police will not be able to get through to protect families, as the road will be blocked by the families and busses travelling to drop off/pick up students from Minarah College. HOW IS MINARAH COLLEGE PROPOSING TO ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THE SAFETY ISSUE?

• Flooding – Parts of the proposed school “Minarah College” are sited within the flood prone area. This will be dangerous for the students, staff and the greater school community. There are no streetlights in Catherine Fields. At night it is very difficult to see the flooded road. The school is opened till 10 pm. The safety of the people attending Minarah College at night also will be jeopardized.

• Parking Concerns - Minarah College proposal falls short regarding adequately addressing the issue regarding parking in the area. There will be insufficient parking in Catherine Fields to cater for all the students and their families attending the college. Parents, teachers, students from Minarah College will end up parking on the properties of Catherine Field residents. This is what will happen. Look at what happened at Leppington Train Station, at Austral with "Unity Grammar" and at Rossmore with "Bellfield College". So many cars parked on people’s properties, traffic congestion everywhere, a nightmare for all residents. The department of planning should assess these areas to make sure they don’t make the same mistake in Catherine Fields.

• Environmental Impact – Minarah College in their second proposal still have not adequately addressed the environmental impact in Catherine Fields if the school goes ahead. Again, this was not adequately addressed in the first submission to department of planning either. If the proposal for Minarah College goes ahead it will have a devasting impact on the water ways and creeks in the area and the wildlife and animals that live in the area. State Government and Department of planning, “HELP PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT IN CATHERINE FIELDS. HELP SAVE THE ANIMALS/WILDLIFE AND FODDER THAT CALL CATHERINE FIELDS THEIR HOME”.


In my view, Minarah College has failed to adequately address traffic and parking issues beyond the original proposal. They have failed to adequately address the concerns raised by the residents of Catherine Fields in the initial submission.

This is very unfair for the State Government and department of planning to place such hardship/burden on the residents of Catherine Fields.

On this basis I STRONLY Object to the Minarah College proposal.

I am writing to you regarding the Minarah College – Proposed Catherine Field campus development.

I have been a resident of Catherine Fields for over 50 years. I am, deeply concerned with this proposed development and strongly object to the development of the Minarah College in Catherine Fields for the following reasons.
1. Flooding in Catherine Fields
The recent weather conditions, strongly highlight the dangers for school children if they were to attend a school in Catherine Fields.

The roads in Catherine Fields are flood prone, resulting in road closures e.g., Anthony Road Catherine Field, Catherine Fields Road Catherine Fields, Springfield Road Catherine Fields.

Catherine Fields is subject to localised flooding and overland flows in heavy rain. The potential flood impacts for residents in Catherine Fields are very significant. In addition, all surrounding access roads are subject to flooding in major floods restricting access for residents and visitors. This would mean that during heavy rainfall, children coming from Bringelly Road will not be able to reach Catherine Field Road as the bridge on Antony Road will be closed due to flooding. This bridge has been closed numerous times over the years due to flooding.

Flooding poses great danger to the residents who live in the area and to the school children and their families. For this reason Catherine Fields is not a suitable site for the for the proposed development of Minarah College Campus.

Refer to Article in the - Advertiser - MARCH 3 2022 - 9:20AM - Parts of Camden given evacuation order overnight
2. Poor Infrastructure in Catherine Fields
The roads in Catherine Fields are not designed to cope with large volumes of traffic, in particular an additional 980 school children and their families plus teachers etc.

Catherine Fields is designated as a rural area and is not designed to cope with schools being built in the area and in particular the magnitude of Minarah College, which will hold 980 students plus teachers.

The roads in Catherine Fields are only one lane. I am really concerned about the volume of traffic that will result in our area if the school goes ahead. Residents of Catherine Fields will now find themselves stuck in traffic trying to take their own children to school and trying to get to work. This was cause immense hardships to the residents. The residents of Catherine Fields will be severely disadvantaged.

Minarah College will be bussing in of its pupils from surrounding areas daily and this will further add to the streets (Catherine Fields) traffic problems and is surely not in the students’ and resident’s best interest.
3. Road Safety

If the Minarah College Campus goes ahead, I am very concerned and worried that this may lead to a significant impact upon road safety in Catherine Fields.

The roads in Catherine Fields are subject to large potholes all the time, Potholes can be a serious problem, and the roads are in constant need of repair. These potholes pose a danger to both the residents who live in the area and would also pose a danger to the school children and their families should the school go ahead.

The danger caused by potholes is increased car accidents caused from a driver trying to swerve in front of oncoming traffic after losing control of their vehicle, having driven through a pothole or other drivers may over-correct while attempting to avoid a pothole. If the Minarah College is built, this danger will be magnified due to the large volume of traffic inflow into Catherine Fields.

The recent floods resulted in massive potholes on Deepfields Road, Catherine Fields Road and Springfields Road.


4. Disturbance

The development of Minarah College would result in unacceptable intrusion in the form of noise nuisance, general disturbance, odour, and so on.

The amount of noise that will be generated from the Minarah College will be unbearable for the residents in Catherine Fields.

Large volume of cars will sacrifice the air quality of Catherine Fields.

5. Suitability of site location as it is not within an area

The character of Catherine Fields is rural. The Minarah College Campus will dominate the area and change the character of Catherine Fields. For this reason, the proposed development does not fit within the established character of the Catherine Field area and is considered out of context for the locality.

The proposed development Minarah College Campus will further contribute to Loss of good quality agricultural land.


In Conclusion, the proposed development of Minarah College, will result in pupils and staff at this school needed to be transported from the surrounding areas, which will increase vehicle movements, noise and emissions in Catherine Fields. Peak time congestion and parking demands will increase to unacceptable, unhealthy and frankly, unsafe levels.

For these reasons I consider the proposed development of Minarah College Campus in Catherine Fields to be unsustainable, unacceptable and shows a disregard for the local Catherine Field community.

DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THE MINARAH COLLEGE PROPOSAL TO GO AHEAD. IT WILL HAVE A CATASTRPHIC IMPACT ON BOTH THE RESIDENTS OF CATHERINE FIELDS AND THE WILDLIFE AND ANIMALS THAT CALL CATHERINE FIELDS THERE HOME. HELP SAVE AND PERSERVE RURAL AREAS.

The reasons for my Objection against the construction of "Minarah College"
(a) Traffic
• Lack of Infrastructure in Catherine Fields to support 980 students and 51 staff.
• Roads are only single lane.
• Catherine Fields will experience high volume of traffic congestion that will adversely impact the people living in Catherine Fields. This will not be fair to the residents of Catherine Fields.
• It will make it hard for the Catherine Field residents trying to take/pickup their children to/from school in Oran Park and or trying to get to and from work each day. They will experience lengthy delays. They will be stuck in massive lines of traffic as a result of the blockage caused by parents who live outside the area coming into Catherine Fields to drop off/pickup their children at Minarah College and also the buses coming into Catherine Fields to drop off/pick up the children at Minarah College.
• The condition of the roads in Catherine Fields are poor. Full of potholes everywhere. Every time it rains, more potholes arise. Camden Council is forever in Catherine Fields patching all the potholes.
• Minarah College has failed to address these major traffic concerns and parking issues that have been raised by Catherine Field residents in both their initial proposal and there current proposal.

(b) Safety Concerns

• The lack of infrastructure in Catherine Fields, poor road quality, lack of streetlights in the area, flooding, potential bush fires, poses great safety concerns to both the residents of Catherine Fields and to the Children and their families of Minarah College from the influx of cars, busses coming into Catherine Fields. What are Minarah College strategies for keeping its students safe from harm? What are Minarah strategies for keeping the residents of catherine Fields safe from harm?
• Another major safety issue that could put people’s lives at risk is if there is an emergency such as fire, health or safety in Catherine Fields. Fire trucks will not be able to get through to save lives and property, ambulance will not be able to get through to save lives and police will not be able to get through to protect families, as the road will be blocked by the families and busses travelling to drop off/pick up students from Minarah College.

(c) Parking

• The proposal put forward by Minarah College falls short in regards to addressing the issue regarding parking. There will be insufficient parking in Catherine Fields to carter for all the students and their families attending the college. It will be unacceptable for the students, teachers and their families from Minarah College to park on the properties of residents living in the Catherine Field area. This is what will happen. You must look at what happened at Leppington Train Station, at Austral with "Unity Grammar" and at Rossmore with "Bellfield College". So many cars in front of people’s properties, traffic congestion everywhere, a nightmare for all residents. The department of planning should assess these areas to make sure they don’t make the same mistake in Catherine Fields.

(d) Waste Water

• The extent of wastewater area that Minarah College are showing on their proposed plans doesn't appear to be adequate for a development with a school population of 980 students.
• The location of the EMA where the fields are would render the fields useless due to waterlogging.
• Minarah College has not addressed the impact on the "South Creek" located in Catherine Fields. In times of floods, the sewerage will spill over into the South Creek from the run off from the buildings. This will have a catastrophic impact on the creek and the wildlife in the area.
• Of great concern, the wastewater report does not specify where the effluent treatment plant will be located. Looks like Minarah College has not properly considered the issues at hand and is rushing a proposal through to the department of planning without properly considering the long-term impact their proposal has on the environment in Catherine Fields. This is very concerning to me. The damage to the environment will be irreversible and will impact future generations of people.

(e) Flooding

• Catherine Fields is prone to flooding. Look at last year when the floods occurred. Catherine Fields Road was closed, and Antony Road was also closed. How will the children of Minarah Collge get to school because as a result of the flooding? How will the safety of the children of Minarah College be guaranteed? If a flood occurs during the day the children will be stuck at the school. Their parents will not be able to pick them up due to road closures.
• There are no streetlights in Catherine Fields. At night it is very difficult to see the flooded road. The school proposes to open till 10 pm. The safety of the people attending Minarah College at night also will be jeopardized. Two years ago, a man died on Antony Road as he drove into the flood waters that were not visible due to no street lighting in the area.

(f) Hours of Operations

• What school operates until 10 pm? Something doesn’t seem right here. Looks like, the school will be used for other purposes that Minarah College has not to date communicated to the residents of Catherine Fields. Where is the transparency?
• The residents of Catherine Fields will have to endure congestion on the road from early hours in the morning to late in the evening. This is just not fair.
How can the department of planning allow the Minarah College proposal to go ahead. The impact on the residents of Catherine Fields and to the wildlife of Catherine Fields will be CATASTROPHIC.
PLEASE HELP US SAVE AND PERSERVE CATHERINE FIELDS.

The reasons for my Objection against the construction of "Minarah College"
(a) Traffic & Parking - Catherine Fields does not have the infrastructure to support 980 students and 51 staff. There are only single lane roads. This will create a lot of traffic congestion in Catherine Fields. It will make it very difficult for residents to go in and out of there properties during peak times. It will make it difficult for the residents trying to get there kids to school on time or trying to get to work on time. They will be stuck in massive lines of traffic as a result of parents who live outside the area coming into Catherine Fields to drop there children off at Minarah College and also the buses coming into Catherine Fields to drop off children to Minarah College. The roads in Catherine Fields are full of massive potholes everywhere. Every time it rains, more potholes result. This poses great safety concerns both to the residents of Catherine Fields and to the Children and there families who will be attending Minarah College. The proposal fails short in regards to addressing the issue regarding parking. There will be insufficient parking in Catherine Fields to carter for all the students and families attending the college. It will be un acceptable for the students, teachers and there families to park on the properties of residents living in the area. In reality this is what will happen. You only have to look at what happened at Leppington Station, Austral with "Unity Grammar" and Rossmore with "Bellfield College". So many cars in front of peoples properties, traffic congestion everywhere, a nightmare for residents.
Another major safety issue that could put peoples lives at risk is if there is an emergency being fire, health or safety in Catherine Fields. Fire trucks will not be able to get through, ambulance will not be able to get through to save someone's life and police will not be able to get through to protect families as the road will be blocked by the families travelling to drop/pick up students from Minarah college.
Minarah College has failed to address these major traffic concerns and parking issues that have been raised by Catherine Field residents in there initial proposal and there current proposal.
(b) Waste Water - The extent of wastewater area that Minarah College are showing on there proposed plans doesn't appear to be adequate for a development with a school population of 980 students. In addition to this, the location of the EMA where the fields are would render the fields useless due to waterlogging. Also, Minarah College has not addressed the impact on the "South Creek" located in Catherine Fields. In times of floods, the sewerage will over run into the South Creek from the run off from the buildings and this will impact the creek and the wildlife in the area and native animals in the area. Of further concern the waste water report does not specify where the effluent treatment plant will be located. Looks like the school has not properly considered the issues at hand.
(c) Flooding - Catherine Fields is prone to flooding. Look at last year when the floods occurred. Catherine Fields Road was closed and Antony Road was closed. How will the children of Minarah Collge get to school as a result of the flooding. How will the safety of the children of Minarah College be guaranteed. If a flood occurs during the day the children will be stuck at the school. There parents will not be able to pick them up due to road closures. There are no street lights in the area. At night it is very difficult to see the flooded road. The school proposes to open till 10 pm. The safety of the people attending Minarah College will be jeopardized. Two years ago a man died on Antony Road as he drove into the flood waters that were not visible due to no street lighting in the area.

I am objecting against the proposed construction of Minarah Collge for the following reasons;
(a) Poor Infrastructure in Catherine Fields
The roads in Catherine Fields are not designed to cope with large volumes of traffic, in particular an additional 900 school children and their families plus teachers etc.
Catherine Fields is designated as a rural area and is not designed to cope with schools being built in the area and in particular the magnitude of Minarah College, which will hold 900 students plus teachers.

The roads in Catherine Fields are only one lane. I am really concerned about the volume of traffic that will result in our area if the school goes ahead. Residents of Catherine Fields will now find themselves stuck in traffic trying to take their own children to school and trying to get to work. This was cause immense hardships to the residents. The residents of Catherine Fields will be severely disadvantaged.

Minarah College will be bussing in of its pupils from surrounding areas daily and this will further add to the streets (Catherine Fields) traffic problems and is surely not in the students’ and resident’s best interest.

It will make it very difficult for me to get to work on time as I will be stuck in traffic on Catherine Fields Road and then on Deepfields Road as there will be many cars and busses coming in and out of the school dropping there kids off. TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, IF THE SCHOOL GOES AHEAD, I WILL NEED TO LEAVE MY HOME AT 6.30AM, DROP MY KIDS OFF AT SCHOOL AND LEAVE THEM UNATEENDED AS I RACE TO LEAVE CATHERINE FIELDS TO GET TO WORK BEFORE THE INFLUX OF TRAFFIC BEGINS. IF I DONT DO THIS I WILL BE STUCK IN CATHERINE FIELDS AND THEN ARRIVE TO WORK LATE. CONSEQUENCES FOR ME WILL BE LOSS OF EMPLOYMENT. BY MID WEEK THE CHILDREN AND I WILL BE EXHAUSTED HAVING TO GET UP SO EARLY EVERYDAY.

(b) Disturbance

The development of Minarah College would result in unacceptable intrusion in the form of noise nuisance, general disturbance, odour, and so on.

The amount of noise that will be generated from the Minarah College will be unbearable for the residents in Catherine Fields.

Large volume of cars will sacrifice the air quality of Catherine Fields.

Please do not allow the school to go ahead, the outcome will be disastrous for the residents of Catherine Fields.

i agree with camden council after the last application:
The site is an unsewered rural property located on a rural road with no shoulder,
formed kerb and gutter, footpath, lighting or piped underground stormwater system.
The proposal remains inconsistent with the public interest. I expect that there will be a high volume of objections received by the concerned community once again. From what I understand, the new application does not address these concerns raised.
Having the construction noise at the same time as children playing will by far exceed noise and impact neighbours.
having the ema on the soccer field is unsafe. having the overflow carpark is destined for bogged cars. The applicant talks about not allowing the children to play on the soccer field after rain events to protect the field but yet will allow cars to park there.
Once again, the data contains much varied information and are not addressing any issues.
i do not support minarah college in catherine field

in August 2022 after the last efforts for 1580 students, TFNSW recommended that 'pedestrian safety is to be considered in the vicinity' due to the proposed developemnt potentially generate additional pedestrian movements in the area. The updated plan shows no concern for pedestrian safety which shows that the school is only interested in creating a commercial development for profit. They are expanding their current school which is based in a completely different LGA currently serving families out of the Catherine Field locale.
also concerning is the plan to shelter on site in the event of major flooding. if this shelter on site goes for long periods of time and the students are still using the toilet facilities, not only will the ema area be flooded, it will most certainly impact on residents nearby.
in short, this developemtn is not yet suited for 268 and 278 catherine field road. Mayeb when the suitable infrastructure is in place or at least underway then it might be worth revisiting

The Dept Planning wrote to the applicant on 17 August 2022 saying:
10. Stormwater drainage
The EIS states that overland flow paths would direct stormwater away from buildings and
ultimately discharge to the Catherine Fields Road reserve drainage system. As noted in Camden
Council’s submission, there is no piped underground stormwater drainage infrastructure
provided along Catherine Fields Road. Therefore, there is a risk that flows from the site may
impact on downstream properties and/or find its way to nearby watercourses such as South
Creek during high rainfall events.
The RtS must confirm that the proposed stormwater drainage regime would not adversely
impact on any downstream properties, nearby watercourses or riparian land. Mitigation
measures should be proposed where potential impacts are identified.

This, I believe has not been resolved and properties downstream will still be affected.

The Dept in this same letter to the applicant asked:
2. Land use zone objectives
The RtS must provide further justification demonstrating that the proposal is consistent with the
objectives of the RU4 Primary Production Small Lots zone under the Camden Local
Environmental Plan 2010.
As an example, an objective of the zone is to encourage and promote diversity and employment
in relation to primary industry enterprises. This objective has not been adequately addressed in
the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Further consideration must also be provided on how
conflicts would be minimised between the proposed school use and surrounding land that is also
zoned RU4

The area is still zoned RU4 and not suited to a development of this size nor are there any future plans to develop this area of Catherine Field.

There were also comments made about the inconsistencies in staff and student numbers. Although these have been reduced< there still seems an inconsistency with these numbers and accurate student to teacher ratio.

although the student and teacher numbers have been reduced, the traffic impacts have not been resolved. With only doing works at the frontage of the site and nothing to the rest of surrounding road is a concern. With the upgrades not planned until stage 3, the roads will be left in poor condition and an increase in wear and tear is expected with heavy vehicles travelling to site.
Whilst I note that there is a “kiss and drop” zone in stage 1 and an expansion to this in stage 2 not all children or parents like this arrangement and with limited parking within the school, parents will likely park on the street. There is also a pedestrian crossing through the kiss & drop zone which would impact the functionality of the zone.

I object to the project as the application has not resolved any issues with flooding. Attached are maps of flooding showing the site outlined in red.

I fully support the proposal to build a new school in this area, as it will have a transformative impact on our community. A new school will not only provide essential educational resources for local families but will also foster long-term growth and development for future generations.

Currently, many students face long commutes to schools in other areas, which adds strain on families and limits students' opportunities for extracurricular involvement. A local school would offer a more accessible, safe, and supportive environment for children to thrive academically and socially.

Moreover, a new school can become a central hub for the community, hosting events and programs that engage both students and parents. The creation of local jobs and infrastructure improvements will further benefit the area, promoting economic growth and enhancing the quality of life.

Investing in education is always a step toward a brighter future, and building a school in this new area is a crucial move toward providing all children with the tools they need to succeed. I urge decision-makers to move forward with this proposal for the benefit of our children, our families, and our community as a whole.

I am attaching photos of the state of Catherine Fields Road after a short storm in July 2022.
Regards
Francine Axisa

Me and my wife object wholeheartedly to this project. Our daughter and son in law together with their 3 kids live across the road. We live overseas but we visited a few years ago for 3 months and are currently on a 4 month long holiday living with them. We love the area and believe that a school is not suitable for that area. We still cannot believe how an application for a school of that size was even accepted. We saw first hand the state of the road especially after a good rainfall in the last few weeks since we arrived. The roads have gotten a bit busier since we last visited which is understandable but the state of the roads has gotten worse. How can the roads cope with more traffic? The area is rural. We love it. It is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of a city. We live in a small village which is getting slowly over populated. It is wonderful to be able to sit outside listening to the sounds of nature. This peacefulness will all be gone if the school goes ahead. Our daughter has told us of the stress this project has caused all of them including their kids. We hope you kindly consider all of this before making a decision.
Regards
Joseph and Thaddea Buttigieg

Please see attached letter