1 - The height ,scale & bulk of the towers are overwhelming as the gateway to Castlecrag .
2 - This design is totally at odds with the existing character of our community & Walter Burley Griffin /Marion Mahoney Griffin design heritage.
3 - As a resident of Raeburn Avenue , I am very concerned about the influx of vehicles , anticipated traffic congestion, pedestrian safety, parking pressure & unsafe traffic behavior during the build & ongoing. Our street & those surrounding are very narrow. The intersection of Raeburn & Edinburgh Rds becomes gridlocked very easily during peak hours now. There needs to be safe access for residents, school buses & ambulance /emergency vehicles to GP Practice on this corner and Castlecrag Hospital .
4 - The loss of sunlight & solar access for existing & potential surrounding residents is unfair & against NSW government policy.
5- The Castlecrag site is not in a transport- oriented development zone ,is not close to a train station & has a limited bus service .
6 - Sadly , I fail to see the design excellence, or adequate public benefit given that only 10 Affordable Housing units have been designated, considering the long period of disruption, noise, etc such an enormous scale build will require.
7 - I request we revert back to the already approved existing DA-2024/13 which has convincing design excellence & will provide much needed public benefit to our community .

I strongly support the proposed residential and retail development in Castlecrag. A thriving suburb depends on a variety of housing options that can accommodate residents at different stages of life. At present, the limited supply of modern apartments creates a bottleneck in the local housing market.

By introducing higher-density housing within the village centre, the project facilitates a natural transition within the community. It enables older residents to move into more manageable, age-appropriate homes, while making larger detached houses available for younger families.

This form of urban renewal is essential to maintaining a dynamic and balanced suburb. It helps prevent the area from becoming stagnant and supports the long-term vitality of the local economy.

I have grown up in this area and am shocked to see a proposal of this height and scale being submitted to the community. This proposal is not in keeping with the architectural history of this area and has not recognised existing residents and the impact the height and scale of this building will have on those living in Castlecrag and Willoughby area every single day.
This height of the building conflicts with current planning controls for this area, and the bulk of the building will no doubt overwhelm the area. I grew up on the southern end of this proposal and this building will block the sunlight that currently filters down to these residents, impacting health and wellbeing and congesting residential streets.
The scale of this proposal will negatively impact the circulation of traffic, with increased traffic, congestion and even more limited places for local residents to park. Streets used to be safe for young children to play in but now, it is dangerous for children to be able to enjoy their neighbourhood safely.
Castlecrag does not have a robust public transport system. Already buses are overcrowded in the morning with school children and workers, with the incidence of buses not stopping at bus stops a regular occurrence. With an additional magnitude of people using the public transport system, it will put much strain on a light service. Castlecrag does not have a train station with services that run every 5 minutes throughout the day.
The proposal has ignored resident feedback and not adequately updated plans to properly reflect even property zones (it still uses resident land as part of the calculations for set backs which is unethical and dishonest).
I strongly object to this proposal and do not believe a building of this size (12-14 storeys) has adequately considered the actual planning controls and community feedback. A much lower scale building of 3 storeys would be more in keeping with the local environment as well as achieve housing goals.

I object to the proposal as I feel the area is not suitable for the proposed block.

I live close to this new project and strongly disagree to the proposed new 11 storey height with 150 apartments. This beautiful neighborhood village would be destroyed with this extension proposal. I ask you revert to original proposal by developer

The site already has an approved DA number 2024/13. The revised proposal does not represent an improvement on the existing approval. Instead, it introduces a substantial increase in height and mass, effectively tripling the scale of the of the originally approved development.
This significant escalation is entirely out of character with the surrounding built environment. The proposed structure would dwarf neighboring two-story homes, resulting in increased overlooking, overshadowing and serious loss of privacy and amenity for existing residents.
The proposed development is also inconsistent with the established character of the historic Burley-Griffin suburb. The introduction of a twin tower building at a key gateway location risk permanently diminishing the visual and cultural integrity of the suburb.
In addition, the proposal raises serious traffic concerns, increased vehicle movements at the nearby junctions will exacerbate congestion and reduce safety for local residents.
The application fails the "Better Places" litmus test. Rather than enhancing the area, it would degrade multiple aspects of the current amenity including streetscape character, sunlight access, privacy and traffic conditions.
Furthermore, the site does not fall within the Northbridge local center and therefore does not meet the criteria outlined under the Low to Mid Rise housing policy

1 Castlecrag is not well well serviced with public transport. The nearest Metro and train station are 3-4 kilometers away.
2 The height and scale of the proposed towers are outside of the council planning policies for good reasons.
3 The towers overshadow existing houses on the southern side making them unlivable.
4 The site has already been approved for a better mixed development that has community support .
5 The visual impact of the two high towers at this site which is at the top of a hill will be an obvious built landmark and will be a blight on planning authorities as well as being against the Griffin Heritage design principles which the community supports
6 Castlecrag is not designated as a housing growth area for obvious reasons. The additional traffic entering and exiting Castlecrag will cause significant congestion for emergency vehicles attending to calls within the suburb.
7 There is not sufficient set back of the proposed building from the street and so there will be a loss of trees which are highly appreciated by the community.

I am writing to formally object to the proposed construction of a 14-storey building within our suburb.

Our community is valued for its peaceful atmosphere, human-scale streetscape, and cohesive neighbourhood character. The introduction of a development of this magnitude is inconsistent with the existing built environment and would significantly alter the character and amenity of the area.

Of particular concern is the impact this development may have on property values and the overall desirability of the suburb. A high-density structure of this scale has the potential to deter prospective buyers who are specifically drawn to the low-rise, community-oriented nature of the area. This may, in turn, affect both current homeowners and future market stability.

Additionally, such a development would likely increase traffic, strain existing infrastructure, reduce privacy, and overshadow surrounding properties, further diminishing the quality of life for residents.

I respectfully request that the proposal be reconsidered, with greater emphasis placed on developments that are in keeping with the established character, scale, and expectations of the local community.

Thank you for considering this objection.

1. Jamming of Edinburgh Rd Castlecrag at the traffic lights with cars from the increased number of apartments.
As it is the Edinburgh Rd traffic lights are jammed already to get in or out.

2. Further jamming of branches of Eastern Valley Way Willoughby for residents to get in and out of their streets, with thed already jammed pack of Eastern Valley Way.

3. the upcoming, for certain wave of deadly virus not unlike the Covid virus or the Avian flu or the MERS virus to the world and including Australia, will definitely cause waves of death and morbidity in thickly populated buildings like the proposed 150 apartments.
The NSW government should be liable in the future for this foreseen disaster that historically happens every few years now, with the densely populated urban areas.
The housing issues is currently happening around the world, not just in Australia. Which for some reason, journalist and politicians in Australia seems to be selective in their reporting

See attachment.