This application uses a public-interest policy mechanism to extract private planning concessions, delivers nothing affordable, degrades neighbourhood infrastructure and character, and if approved, hands every future luxury developer in this area a roadmap to do the same. The community loses twice — once now, and once in every copycat application that follows.

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Dear Team,

I am an IT professional and have lived in Castlecrag for the last six years. I am writing to object to the proposed redevelopment at 100 Edinburgh Road.

I support sensible redevelopment and understand there is pressure to deliver additional housing across Sydney. However, I do not believe this proposal demonstrates why a development of this height and density is appropriate for Castlecrag specifically.

My primary concern is the overall scale of the project. The proposed tower elements would dramatically alter the built form and visual character of the area. Castlecrag has traditionally maintained a lower-scale, landscape-focused identity, and this proposal feels disconnected from that context. The independent design review itself notes unresolved concerns relating to scale, bulk, heritage response, and overshadowing.

The strategic justification also appears weak. The application relies heavily on broader housing policy arguments, yet Castlecrag is not identified as a major growth centre or transport-oriented precinct. The proposal effectively seeks outcomes well beyond the existing planning controls without providing convincing site-specific reasoning.

Traffic impacts are another major issue. The current road network already struggles at peak times and the traffic modelling appears optimistic in several areas. Assumptions that 75% of trips originate within Castlecrag and that shopping trips will be significantly reduced through linked trips do not seem realistic. The reports do not appear to properly test more conservative or worst-case traffic scenarios.

I am also concerned that the proposal may establish a precedent for similar applications in surrounding areas. Once developments of this scale are approved outside recognised growth centres, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain the planning framework intended for suburbs like Castlecrag.

I ask that the proposal either be refused or significantly reduced in height and density to better align with the existing character and infrastructure capacity of the area.

To whom it may concern,

I am a dentist working locally and have lived in Castlecrag for the past six years. I use Edinburgh Road daily for work and regularly travel through the surrounding intersections throughout the day.

I understand that Sydney needs additional housing and that redevelopment of commercial sites can contribute positively when appropriately planned. However, I am concerned that the scale of this proposal is excessive for both the site and the existing road network servicing the area.

The traffic impacts appear significantly understated in the submitted reports. The application’s own traffic assessment acknowledges that key intersections are already operating at failure levels and are expected to deteriorate further over time. Despite this, the proposal introduces a substantial increase in residential density, retail activity, service vehicles, and visitor traffic.

From practical experience, congestion in and around Castlecrag is already noticeable during school drop-off hours, commuter peaks, and weekends. The surrounding road network is constrained and there are limited alternative routes available when congestion occurs. I am particularly concerned that the proposal does not adequately assess how additional traffic will affect nearby residential streets through rat-running and diverted traffic movements.

The proposal also appears inconsistent with the transport realities of the area. While the reports repeatedly describe the site as well connected to public transport, Castlecrag remains largely car-dependent. Even the construction management documentation acknowledges that workers are expected to drive due to limited transport access.

In addition to traffic concerns, the height and bulk of the towers are difficult to reconcile with the established character of Castlecrag. The jump from the previously approved podium form to buildings of approximately 12–14 storeys represents a significant change to the visual character of the suburb. The scale appears incompatible with the surrounding built form and landscape setting.

I respectfully request that the proposal be reconsidered with a substantially reduced scale and a more robust transport assessment that properly reflects existing conditions within Castlecrag.

New proposal is big, too tall and too ugly. Certainly not in keeping with the rest of the suburb. And it will cause major traffic problems. The original concept for the site was MUCH better.

The project is out of keeping with the area. All around the maximum building height is about 3 or 4 stories, The traffic problems will be extensive with all those apartments coming out on what is already a busy and slow corner.
Parking will be problem for residents accessing the shops on the corner. Already the bus services are inadequate.

There is no valid argument for a development of this scale. It is NOT a transport hub. There are limited buses. No trains, no metro stations, there’s not even train or metro station nearby.

We are not NIMBYs. We supported and had approved a sensible development of a suitable size and scale. So far the arguments in favour of the development are equivalent to Godwin’s Law. We have yet to hear a single valid argument that supports a development of this size. Notions of community needs, needs for housing for local health workers, and affordable housing are nonsense.

The developer has failed to address the communities concerns or answer their questions. The reason for this is simple, they can’t. The fact is a development that the community supported was approved, which was sold to Conquest who surreptitiously deceived the community and replaced the approved developer with an unapproved one.

This development is of a grossly inappropriate size and scale. If allowed to go ahead, given that it does NOT meet state government’s objectives to create more affordable housing in Sydney, this is 100% proof positive that the approval is only to make the government money. If allowed to go ahead then we will have a provable case of corruption.

We have lived in Castlecrag for near 20 years, having spent the prior 20 in Wollongong and the Riverina.

The suburb is truly something special, combining it’s historic origins by Walter Burley Griffin and his wife, with a tranquil setting that has been designed to be in tune with nature and not overcome it.

Many of its streets are narrow as they were designed to follow the natural contours of the peninsular. We are not very well endowed with transport and need to go to the Eastern Valley Road intersection to catch city buses – which are adequate at peak hours but not that good outside of those times.

In the Quadrangle and shops area, parking is minimal and as an example there was a great uproar when it was planned to remove just 2 spots from the small parking area outside the Post Office – which is full most of the time in any case.

Traffic at the major exit point near the proposed development is always a challenge especially anywhere close to peak hours, with a queue of cars that extends well back beyond the Edinburgh road roundabout.

My key objections to the proposed development are:

• It’s height and scale are not in keeping with the general character of the suburb.

• It will generate more traffic in the bottleneck area of the key exit from the suburb at the intersection of Edinburgh and Eastern Valley Way.

• If the development includes even a mid sized supermarket, say a Coles, this will bring additional out-of-suburb traffic into an already strained area.

• The amount of shading to properties that are to the South is not something anyone would like to see happen to those residents.

• It will clearly set a precedent if allowed that will likely see large scale and excessively high developments on sites in that vicinity.

• Looking at the number of affordable units, it is clearly not a development aimed at alleviating the general housing issues Sydney faces but rather will provide quite up-market and expensive units and penthouses.


Thank you for the opportunity to provide the reasons for my objection and I look forward to your feedback.

Regards
greg naimo

The proposed building scale is completely outrageous. Is completely at odds with the needs of the Castlecrag community and our heritage values..should the government support this proposal it will be a sad reflection on planning for the people not greedy developers who bend the rules for financial gain..