Submission — Objection to SSD-86456706
142–150 Narrow Neck Road, Katoomba

I object to this proposal on the following grounds:

1. Excessive scale and non-compliance
The development significantly exceeds the intended height and floor space controls for this site. At up to 5 storeys and over 200 units, it is out of character with Katoomba and would set an inappropriate precedent for overdevelopment.

2. Inappropriate location
The site sits outside the Katoomba town centre with limited access to public transport, services, and infrastructure. This undermines the stated planning logic of density near services and will increase car dependency.

3. Bushfire risk and evacuation constraints
The location is within a bushfire-prone area with known evacuation challenges. Intensifying population at this site raises serious safety concerns for residents and surrounding communities.

4. Visual and heritage impact
The development would be highly visible across the escarpment and surrounding areas, adversely affecting the character of Katoomba and the visual integrity of the adjoining World Heritage landscape.

5. Environmental impact (Katoomba Falls catchment)
The site lies at the headwaters of the Katoomba Creek Falls system. The scale of development introduces unacceptable risk to downstream environmental values, including water quality and ecological integrity.

6. Process concerns
Community consultation appears inadequate. Many residents report limited or no meaningful engagement prior to lodgement. Given the scale and sensitivity of the site, this is insufficient.

Conclusion
This proposal is fundamentally incompatible with the site. Its scale, location, environmental risk, and safety implications outweigh any claimed benefits. The application should be refused.

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SUBMISSION AGAINST
SSD-86456706 Residential flat buildings at 142-150 Narrow Neck Road, Katoomba

Introduction
In my opinion the proposal represents an irresponsible gross overdevelopment of land in close proximity to the ecologically sensitive World Heritage listed Blue Mountains National Park, would have major negative impacts on the wellbeing of the existing residents of south-west Katoomba and yet does not appear to have been devised to aid in lessening the current housing crisis in NSW by being essentially not fit for purpose within the state significant housing development guidelines.

It is impossible in the short amount of time available for submissions (14 days) for members of the public to adequately consider the entirety of the proposal due to the overwhelming volume of the documents submitted as part of the EIS (over 2000 pages), however I will cover some of my main concerns stated above with a series of brief dot points (part A), followed by a slightly more detailed analysis of just one particular aspect of the EIS (The Arboricultural Impact Assessment, Appendix K) (Part B).

**PLEASE SEE MY FULL SUBMISSION ATTACHED AS A PDF, AS ASSOCIATED DIAGRAM AND PHOTOS CANNOT BE INCLUDED HERE**

The proposed development is ridiculously innappropriate for the Blue Mountains region, in particular the sensitive location on the edge of the National Park.
The height and scale of the development is intrusive and entirely out of character with the area.
The proposed apartments do not offer any real affordable housing options for the area. Realistically, the housing development will only benefit the developers and a handful of wealthy investors who will let out the apartments for short term rentals at inflated prices.
The Blue Mountains already has too high a proportion of Air B n B style accomodation and this development promises to further add to that problem.
Planning Override: The development is a dangerous precedent as it bypasses the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) to allow high-density building, nearly doubling the allowed height and density. .
Environment & Heritage: The proposal involves clearing over 11 hectares of vegetation, impacting a threatened population of Angus Onion orchids and microbat habitats.
Bushfire Risk: Concerns exist regarding high-density, multi-storey housing in a high-risk bushfire zone, particularly around evacuation.
Visual Impact: The scale threatens the scenic, World Heritage-listed landscape, according to Blue Mountains City Council.

This scale is far beyond current planning rules and threatens the unique character of Katoomba.

Please see document attached

The project is much too big for Katoomba which already has streets clogged with traffic and not enough doctors.

I formally object to this proposal as an unsustainable overdevelopment of an unsuitable, sensitive site.

1. Failure of "15-Minute City" Principles: At ~3km from Katoomba’s town centre and train station, the site is functionally isolated. The steep terrain makes walking to shops, medical services, or transit unviable, mandating total car dependency. Furthermore, local schools are not within safe walking distance. This creates an "isolated island" of density that forces hundreds of additional daily car trips, contradicting modern sustainable planning.

2. Gross Inconsistency with Local Character: The proposed five-storey (15.6m) height is nearly double the LEP limit. This metropolitan-scale density is visually intrusive and entirely incompatible with the low-density character of the World Heritage fringe and the iconic Katoomba escarpment.

3. Infrastructure & Safety: Existing roads are inadequate for this surge in density. Narrow Neck Road is a winding, single-lane route that already struggles with daily tourist traffic and frequent fog. Located in a high-risk bushfire area with limited access points, this project creates a dangerous bottleneck, impacting safe emergency evacuation for the community.

Conclusion: High-density residential developments must be located near existing amenities and services. This site lacks the infrastructure and connectivity to support such a population. I urge the Department to refuse this application.

I oppose this development. It is entirely inappropriate for its location. The Blue Mountains National Park is an iconic and precious environment that must be protected. The proposed development would result in significant negative visual and environmental impacts on one of the most uniquely stunning Australian landscapes.
The height, size and density of the proposed development is double what is permissable under the local LEP. It is appalling that the State government is seeking to bypass these limits by way of the State Significant Development process.
We have a World Heritage National Park and we need to preserve it.
I am not opposed to housing development, but this is not even close to the railway line and the bus service is inadequate.
Importantly, the proposed development fails to take into account the close proximity to the bushfire-prone area with limited evacuation routes.

Having viewed and considered the proposal my objections are based on the following points -

- the size and scale of the project is totally inappropriate given the sites location and proximity to the World Heritage Area. I believe the project to be in breach of the development considerations stipulated for World Heritage.

- WILDFIRE - this area has a long history of exposure to wildfires. As someone with 60 years of experience of wildfires in this area and knowing exactly how difficult it can be to manage these fires, it seems incomprehensible that such a development could be allowed in in this location. Primarily access at any time through narrow streets is difficult and restricted. Evacuation in an emergency situation would be potentially dangerous and chaotic, even fatal. Exits are extremely limited, access is primarily by private vehicles and via single lane roads. These ingress/egress points (2 to 3 only) already do not cope with volumes of traffic at times of high visitation and traffic movements. Organising and operating large numbers of emergency vehicles even under the exisiting conditions is difficult enough. All the predictions are for future wildfire conditions to get much worse.

- whilst understanding and supporting the ongoing need for housing and importantly affordable housing, I do not believe for one moment that this proposal addresses that issue. This proposal has all the characteristics of an elite development aimed at exploiting the natural beauty of the area for a limited and privileged group and not in keeping with National Park and world Heritage values.

It will become a high fire risk area and increase the road traffic and will be affecting the Ecology and landscape of the Blue Mountains

I do not wish for this project to go ahead. I live on the main road that will be the main access to this development and already I have difficulties safely using my driveway. This will cause excessive noise at my house and this type of development will impact the value of my own property.