This is too big for the area proposed

Its an overdevelopment given the natural environment in this area

Its a fire risk due to bush fire prone area

15% affordable housing is far too low a percentage

It has the risk of becoming a ghetto given there are no public services in the area

Public transport is limited… car travel will increase and disturb the existing neighbourhood

The proposed building height does not fit with the existing buildings of the town

To the Hon. Paul Scully
I am writing to you do express my concerns around the proposal for Residential flat buildings at 142-150 Narrow Neck Road, Katoomba which has been categorised as a State Significant Development.
My partner and I moved up to Katoomba in 2025 to leave the increasingly congested suburb of Springwood. Since COVID, we have noticed the rapid development of the lower mountains and have seen first hand the impact of such actions when all factors are not taken into account.
Whilst is it important to continue to provide housing for all people in NSW as the Minister is so driven to achieve, if the areas being developed do not have the appropriate level of infrastructure to support it, it can lead to future problems and even disaster. One such issue is for residents of Winmalee and Yellow Rock now facing considerable traffic buildup and difficulty entering in and out of the single access way. It is my concern that if the development were to go ahead, Narrow Neck Road would experience even worse conditions than this. This weighs heavily on my mind as I am fearful of another 2019-202 Black Summer bushfire and am very worried that if we experience this level of congestion, our lives and the lives of many others who live here will be in danger.
Additionally, the proposed development is also at odds with the needs of the town. A development of low/medium density housing should be located in a well serviced and convenient location and this plot is 2.5km outside of town. It is not near any amenities, robust transport infrastructure and any other services that such a large number of people would require. Had this been in the heart of the town, there may still have been some push back; however, it would have been easier to accept. That being said, there are an estimated 160+ empty properties within the Katoomba/Leura area alone and this can increase to easily match the proposed figure of 266 properties when extended to include Blackheath and Wentworth Falls. Perhaps another approach could be to incentivise the owners of such properties to provide them for others to use.
In 2015, the Blue Mountains raised concerns regarding development strategies which were being implemented at the time. I am very pleased to note that Ministers such as yourself listened to the community’s concerns at the time and implemented The Blue Mountains Local Environmental Plan 2015. This plan was a promise to the community to safeguard the character of the Blue Mountains and protect the important ecology of the area. This proposal violates many key points within the Environmental Plan and would not have been approved under these requirements. The entire Blue Mountains community would be extremely grateful if you could be our hero in this time of need and uphold this promise once again.
Finally, I would like to highlight that this location is a significant water course. The Old Katoomba Golf Course has been going through a process of rehabilitation and we are seeing profoundly important restoration in this area. This plot is a very critical filtration and feed system to the swamps below and if the excessive amounts of concrete required to complete this project are placed on this land, the pH, water course and downstream swamps will all be negatively impacted and destroyed.
It should also be noted that despite the claims by the applicant, there has been no consultation documentation received at any point via letterbox drop or any other communication method. This is not the first underhanded strategy employed in this process and I am sceptical that it will be the last.
I thank you for taking the time to read my submission and implore you to please act on our concerns.
Regards,
Joseph Salemi

It is revolting, cheap looking and does not blend in with the heritage character of the blue mountains. It is right on the escapement of the valley that burns regularly, and will ultimately become investment properties and air bnb rentals, under your shameful guise of “affordable” properties. How about you invest in repairing large heritage buildings close to the station on either side of the highway in both, Katoomba and Mt Victoria? There’s some disgusting corruption going on here for sure. Go away from our mountains.

I am a Katoomba resident and wish to object to the proposed development at 142–150 Narrow Neck Road. In my view, the proposal is fundamentally at odds with the established character, environmental context, and planning framework that governs this area.

1. Inconsistency with planning controls and erosion of due process
The scale of the proposal goes well beyond what is envisaged under the Blue Mountains Local Environmental Plan and Development Control Plan. The use of the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority to accelerate the project effectively sidesteps the usual planning pathways and local assessment. Council has already expressed strong opposition and intends to raise these concerns directly with the Minister. Pushing a development of this nature through an alternative process undermines confidence in the planning system and sets an unhealthy precedent.

2. Scale and density are out of place
I am not opposed to development, but this proposal is clearly excessive for its setting. Its bulk and height would make it highly visible from the escarpment and surrounding World Heritage areas. Katoomba’s identity is built on a low-rise, landscape-responsive character. Introducing multiple four-storey buildings at this scale would permanently disrupt that balance and alter the visual character of the area.

3. Strain on local infrastructure and amenity
A development of this size would bring a significant increase in population and traffic, placing added pressure on infrastructure and reducing the amenity currently enjoyed by residents.

4. Insufficient community engagement
There are legitimate concerns about how consultation has been handled. Notification appears to have been limited in scope, with minimal engagement beyond a small radius and little evidence of meaningful feedback. A proposal of this magnitude warrants a far more thorough and transparent consultation process.

I'll leave the technical stuff to the experts, but it also looks like on the planning portal that, even though the property is not bush fire affected, it is 360 degree surrounded by fire hazard, in some places even butting up to the site. That many humans in that area seems shortsighted and reckless.

For these reasons, I strongly urge the Department to reject the application. The Blue Mountains is a World Heritage-listed environment with carefully considered planning protections, and these should not be set aside to enable development that is clearly out of step with its context

A development like this at that site will not only be an eyesore at its proposed height (why do we insist on ruining natural beauty like this), it won't do anything to assist in the need of affordable housing in the area, plus the dangers it imposes to anyone residing there in the very real chance of bushfires. There is very little benefit to the local community with this. We need to preserve what we have environmentally, build with the intention of improving housing affordability & accessibility, & take seriously the very real implications of climate change & the increasingly hot summers each passing year, which bring with it increased risk of bush fires each summer season.

As a Resident of Farnells Road Katoomba (15 years) I am opposed to this development.
My concerns are safety of current and the proposed residents.
There is a lot of information NOT in the provided documents, but I will make these comments based on the "Traffic & Parking impact" report.
A site inspection revealed near absence of parking demand in the vicinity of the proposed site on Narrow Neck Road. Cliff Drive provides parking on grass verges, used by some residents and visitors. The level of parking demand in Cliff Drive is low.
This is an incorrect assumption. Page 7 shows the traffic count during a Thursday 16th October, which was a business weekday outside School Holidays.
The site inspection during a weekday business hours. Weekends sees restricted parking along Narrowneck road due to the volume of tourist traffic, which includes busses and caravans going to the Scenic World precinct.
Katoomba is a tourist town, Narrowneck Road is one of two major roads leading to the Scenic World, and to the Echo Point area. Any traffic measurement MUST be done over numerous weekends, and include the school Holiday periods.

Page 29 conclusion that… “ The additional traffic from the proposed development will have no detrimental impacts on the street network operation.” Is incorrect.
The statement is based on ‘google maps traffic flows, and a single day’s traffic count’. A count of traffic flow on one single day is a long way from scientific study. Page 14 section C5 fails to satisfy the Traffic Impact as the ‘traffic impacts section’ of the report is flawed with it’s design and approach.

What considerations were given to ‘school and public holiday’ traffic.
What considerations were given to the additional cars requiring evacuation when the RFS instructs residents to ‘leave immediately’. A situation which occurred for residents along Narrowneck vicinity during the 2014 & 2020 bushfires.
The development will allow for over 300 car spaces for the development, plus additional street parking on Narrowneck Rd, Glencoe Rd, and Cliff drive.
Another point overlooked in all the documents is Bush fire safety. What is missing is the fact that in 2014 the Cahills Lookout Bushfire was less than 800m from the proposed site with RFS evacuation warnings issued for those living along Narrowneck Road.
As a resident of Farnells Rd Katoomba, I see and experience traffic flow issues on weekends; more so in the Holiday season. The addition of another 300 plus cars is not sustainable, or safe for all residents using Narrowneck Road. Specifically if an evacuation warning is enacted.

As well as concerns for the impact of an additional 300 housing units on the area and infrastructure, It is the ongoing safety of the community that is for me the greatest concern.
Regards.
Richard Keegan.

The scale of this development in unprecedented in the Blue Mountains and given the fragile environment in which the development is proposed it poses an unacceptable risk to environment and the community.

Having read the Bush Fire Report from : Stuart McMonnies - Bushfire Hazard Solutions, I find the conclusions and scope to be totally inadequate and factually inaccurate, having been through the same Bushfire reporting process for my own DA. To say that the traffic will not be impacted during a bushfire is FALSE and MISLEADING, once again having first hand experience with bushfires in Katoomba.
‘the additional traffic generation is very low and will have no detrimental impacts on the existing road network operation nor on road safety’.- That is FACTUALLY inaccurate, compared to the existing traffic in the area and the impact of bushfires.
"In consideration of the location of the subject site, development proposal and Traffic and Parking Impacts
Report (TFF Consulting, 2025) I am of the view that the public roads can handle the proposed increased volumes of traffic when a bush fire emergency occurs" - That statement too is FACTUALLY inaccurate, 200 cars simultaneously trying to evacuate will result in gridlock of the roads and potential loss of life. So who will be held accountable should that, the developer, the consultant, the department. in reality NO ONE will be held accountable, which is all the more reason to stop this development.
When, NOT if, a bushfire comes to the area of the proposed development and residents panic to evacuate, the results will be catastrophic with real risk to lives.
Using a qualified consultant is one issue, but having relevant Katoomba experience is totally different, which no doubt guided the developer to use an out of area consultant, who provided a report that suited their needs, why did they NOT use a locally experienced consultant?

Bushfire Zoning declassification: How and why this was allowed to occur, should be a matter referred to ICAC "Through this recent map update process the subject site was actively declassified by Council and the NSWRFS as being ‘bushfire prone land’, removing a key planning trigger to consider potential bushfire impact" The land did not change, just the zoning, which is contrary to the impacts of Global Warming and an extended Bush Fire Season and to believe that once Bushfire Prone land is now NO LONGER Bushfire Prone is inconsistent with the science.

The scale of the development is totally wrong, not in keeping with the Blue Mountains and only serves to support the developer dollars.
The economic benefits to the Blue Mountains from this development is questionable and why should a local community be impacted by the whim of a developer.

How does a state significant development take precedence over all the hard work to establish the Blue Mountains as a World Heritage Listed Area that could have its status impacted due to the environmental impacts of this over development.

The proposal represents an overdevelopment that is inconsistent with the environmental sensitivity, scenic value, and established character of Katoomba and the broader Blue Mountains region.
The proposed development represents metropolitan scale and density suitable for city suburbia, not a mountainous village with historically boutique residential landscape.
The development poses a material risk of placing additional burden on public infrastructure and community resources, and should not be approved in its current form.

I am opposed to the proposed development on Narrowneck Road. My first concern is the negative impact it will have on the local feel of the area: a large building complex will feel out of place with the local buildings and community.
My second concern is that the proposed development will be visible from vantage points nearby, negatively impacting both enjoyment of nature and tourism.
My third concern is the negative environmental impact it is likely to have. I am aware that an assessment has deemed it acceptable but I am highly sceptical.
There is a lot of local opposition to the proposed development and I am unaware of any local support.

This building proposal is inappropriate for the Blue Mountains area.

The first thing is to consider the fire hazard risk. This proposal places these massively tall buildings in an area surrounded by bushfire prone land. Evacuation of hundreds of people from an area with no way out aside from two tiny roads is not feasible. It should also be noted that the local fire department do not have the equipment to reach the higher floors of the building, so if they experience a fire, they just... burn, I suppose.

The next thing to consider are the roads. The roads in Katoomba are old, falling apart and are at risk of damage by developers bringing their large machinery in. I have seen the damaged roads in the area first hand at the bottom of the hill on Hindman St. The road is crumbling and it can be dangerous to walk near, as someone who has walked along there many times. The council is stretched thin with road repairs because this is an issue all over the mountains. I remember watching a massive pothole take literally months to fix at one stage. There are enough problems with the roads around here as is.

This building proposal is supposed to provide more housing for the people of the Blue Mountains. Except it won't. The housing crisis in Katoomba is dire. Houses prices are soaring and people are being pushed to Lithgow or becoming homeless. This is not because there aren't enough houses, this is because rich people from outside the area, often Sydney siders, buy up what they can and make their money from AirBnBing the places out. Now consider this development. It is kilometres away from the town centre, it is surrounded by bushfire prone land, and has only 15% of the dwellings designated for affordable housing, and has amenities such as a resturaunt and art gallery with an information centre, with a view of the surrounding bush. This looks to me as though it has been designed with tourism in mind. Nothing about this development addresses this crisis, and I believe that if it goes ahead exactly what has happened to other dwellings in Katoomba will happen here, and the problem will continue to worsen, including the affordable 15% as I believe it would likely be taken up by wealthy non-residents as well.

The next problem with this development is the effect on the local wildlife. This giant project is being built very close to bushland, at the expense of 134 trees. Hundreds of people traveling only in cars and other vehicles, due to the impracticality of its location meaning walking anywhere of significance is overly difficult, is likely to impact the wildlife nearby. One species that is threatened by the clearing of land for urban development is the gang-gang cockatoo, an endangered species. I have lived here for over 15 years and in that time I have only ever seen one pair of gang-gang cockatoos.

But if you need a list of animals potentially affected by this development:
-grey headed flying foxes
-glossy black cockatoos
-spotted tail quolls
-blue mountains water skinks

Another point to consider are the swamps at the bottom of Narrow Neck point that will now have to face large, heavy stormwater flow with little of it remaining in the swamps thanks to the hard surfaces on the development. So any wildlife dependent on those swamps get to face their habitat being destroyed.

In my opinion, the development of these flats will not address the housing crisis in Katoomba, if anything they will exacerbate it. What Katoomba needs is social housing near the urbanised area in town, that meet the established guidelines for property development in the Blue Mountains, available only to those living on a limited income, and to prevent folks from outside the area from owning property to sit on. Not properties whose development poses a threat to our wildlife that will, in my opinion, do nothing to address the crisis brought on by AirBnB.