I have attached my submission.

See attached.

To NSW government
We moved here 2years ago,everything that we worked for our entire life’s is in our house we have nothing else .
We are hard working normal people that pay taxes to our government.
And now I have to beg you not to approve this project
Please take everything in consideration also that this people are not looking to improve our town but they only care about profit,they all ready have approval but it’s not enough they are driven by greed
I’m worried that you will close our George soon if this goes ahead
In short words there is no road infrastructure for this
If you approved someone will have to pay for roads to be upgraded I’m sure you are aware that will cost in hundreds of millions,bare in mind that you have Napen river very short distance from here
What’s going to happened to all native animals?
What is going to happened to all us here in Mitchell pl?
There must be better solutions for this perhaps different kind of development,
Please help us and stop this madness.
This doesn’t belong here
My kids are all ready having nightmares,my son asked me the other day is he going to be able to see cemetery from his bedroom window and he wants change room
Do you understand what is this going to do to all children here .
I’m begging again do a right thing and say NO to this
Please help

I have lived in Douglas Park for 25 years and raised my family here. Over that time, I have watched our area absorb increasing pressure from surrounding development. We already face the prospect of major industrial development between the Hume Highway and the Nepean River, a childcare centre that many locals consider completely out of scale with the area, and substantial residential expansion in Wilton and Appin. At some point Douglas Park needs to be allowed to remain Douglas Park rather than becoming the location for every development that cannot be accommodated elsewhere.
What I find most difficult to understand is the choice of this particular site for a cemetery. Anyone familiar with the land knows much of it is essentially rock. I understand the proposal involves extensive rock hammering and excavation to depths approaching 3 metres to create burial areas. That raises obvious questions for ordinary residents like me about whether this will effectively create a large engineered rock basin and how water will behave during major rainfall events. It simply does not feel like a natural or sensible place for a cemetery of this scale.
Access to the site is also completely inappropriate. From Appin, you must negotiate Broughton Pass and cross the Cataract River, while from Douglas Park village access is constrained by the Gorge road which is effectively one-way at times and already considered dangerous by many. At the same time, numerous enormous cemeteries have recently been approved and one has already opened at Varroville, in addition to smaller local cemeteries that continue to meet community needs. I do not believe people from across Greater Sydney will choose to travel this far for burial services. I strongly object to this proposal and fully support the work of the Reject Douglas Park Cemetery group.

Refer to attached PDF

Please find attached my objection submission to application: SSD-68287712 - Douglas Park Cemetery

Please see attached statement in object to the proposed development of a cemetery and crematorium in Douglas Park.
Not only does the proposed development contravene the NSW Guidelines, it places the environment, wildlife, local community and residents at significant risk due to construction pollutants, operational pollutants and noise. Furthermore, the proposed 7 day a week operation places residents at an additional risk of serious psychological harm.

I object to the proposed Douglas Park Memorial Park (SSD-68287712).

While I acknowledge the need for additional burial capacity across Greater Sydney, I have significant concerns regarding the suitability of this site for a cemetery ultimately containing 37,107 burial plots, a crematorium and associated infrastructure.

The proposal will result in the clearing of approximately 9.83 hectares of native vegetation, including Cumberland Plain Woodland and Shale Sandstone Transition Forest communities. These ecological communities are environmentally significant and were sufficient to trigger assessment under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

I note that NSW biodiversity legislation and the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme were strengthened in 2025 to place greater emphasis on avoiding and minimising biodiversity impacts before reliance is placed on offsetting. Given these reforms, the Department should carefully consider whether genuine measures to avoid and minimise biodiversity impacts have been demonstrated and whether the proposal is consistent with the intent of achieving improved biodiversity outcomes.

The loss of vegetation should also be considered in the context of its contribution to ecological connectivity between the Nepean River corridor, Cataract River corridor and surrounding bushland areas.

I am also concerned about the long-term groundwater and water quality implications of a cemetery of this scale. The EIS acknowledges shallow groundwater in parts of the site and varying hydrogeological conditions. The Department should not be satisfied that sufficient information has been provided to demonstrate that groundwater impacts associated with more than 37,000 burial plots can be avoided, minimised and appropriately managed over the life of the development.

The proposal should not be assessed in isolation from the broader Nepean and Cataract catchment system. The EIS identifies the Nepean River Gorge to the north and the Cataract River to the east, placing the site within a sensitive catchment context connected to two significant river systems.

The broader Douglas Park, Cataract River and Nepean River catchment has already experienced substantial environmental pressures associated with longwall mining. The NSW Scientific Committee has listed "Alteration of habitat following subsidence due to longwall mining" as a Key Threatening Process. The determination specifically references impacts within the Southern Coalfield, including altered groundwater movement, cracking of creek beds, loss of flow, water quality deterioration and aquatic habitat degradation.

The determination also specifically references the Cataract River downstream of Broughtons Pass Weir, where riverbed cracking, loss of flow, gas release, fish kills, iron bacteria mats and deterioration of aquatic habitat were documented following longwall mining impacts. While these impacts are not attributable to the current proposal, they demonstrate the complexity and sensitivity of groundwater and surface water interactions within this catchment.

I am concerned that the proposal is being assessed largely at a site scale rather than within the context of a catchment already experiencing cumulative pressures from mining, urban growth, infrastructure expansion and biodiversity loss.

The proposal should also be considered in the context of increasing development pressure associated with the Wilton Growth Area, Greater Macarthur Growth Area and other regional growth initiatives. Cumulative impacts on biodiversity, water quality, ecological connectivity, rural character and infrastructure should be carefully assessed.

I am also concerned that the proposal underestimates existing transport constraints affecting Douglas Park. Wollondilly Shire Council identifies Douglas Park Drive through the Gorge as a constrained and vulnerable section of road infrastructure affected by slope instability, narrow clearances and road damage. Council has adopted a Slope Risk Management Plan and acknowledges that the road may be closed due to excessive loading, sustained heavy traffic volumes and significant rainfall events.

The proposal should also consider the cumulative impact of funeral traffic, visitor traffic, maintenance vehicles and construction traffic on a road network already identified by Council as vulnerable to closure and constrained by geotechnical instability. Given the strategic role of Douglas Park Drive as a local connection, any increase in traffic demand should be assessed in the context of existing and projected regional growth.

Given the acknowledged biodiversity impacts, groundwater uncertainty, catchment sensitivity, cumulative development pressures and existing infrastructure constraints, I respectfully request that the Department give careful consideration to these matters and ensure all technical assessments are independently reviewed before determining this application.

The precautionary principle should be applied where uncertainty exists regarding biodiversity, groundwater, ecological connectivity and long-term environmental impacts.

The roads can’t support the project. It cannot proceed unless there’s access north and south to the Hume highway from Douglas Park drive. It would be stupid to allow the project to proceed without fixing the road through the gorge too.

Submission Objecting to SSD-68287712 – Douglas Park Memorial Park
To the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure,
I am writing to formally object to SSD-68287712, the proposed Douglas Park memorial Park development.
I have livedin Douglas Park for 15.5 years and I own a property 1 street over to the proposed site. I am also employed at a business located on Dredge Avenue and I also own a buisness in the same street, myself and my clients travel throughout the area on a daily basis. Having lived and worked in the locality for over two decades, I have first hand knowledge of the area's environmental constraints, road network and rural character.
While I recognise the need for cemetery facilities to serve a growing population, I do not believe this proposal is appropriate for this location and I have significant concerns regarding its long-term impacts.
Traffic, Access and Flooding Concerns
One of my primary concerns is the capacity and reliability of the local road network.
Residents of Douglas Park have experienced ongoing issues associated with road access, particularly in relation to Douglas Park Gorge Road. The Gorge is regularly affected by flooding and closures, creating disruptions for residents, businesses and emergency access. These are not theoretical concerns; they are issues that local residents have experienced repeatedly over many years.
The fact that there has been ongoing discussion regarding the future management, upgrading or potential closure of the Gorge demonstrates the challenges already facing the area's transport network.
The proposed cemetery, crematorium and associated facilities will generate additional traffic from funeral services, visitors, contractors, staff and maintenance operations. Introducing a major regional facility into an area already affected by access constraints raises serious concerns regarding road safety, traffic capacity and emergency management.
The notion that there will be a No Right Turn sign exiting the cemetery is pointless as the sign will be ignored or they will turn left then do U turns either further down Douglas Park Dr or in Mitchell Pl and Dredge Ave. Douglas Park Dr is a 80km zone and I feel the U turns will create dangerous driving conditions for the local community.
Before any approval is considered, I believe the Department must be satisfied that the existing road network can safely and reliably accommodate the long-term traffic impacts of a development of this scale.

Mine Subsidence Concerns
I am also concerned about the suitability of the site given the history of underground mining within the region and the potential implications of mine subsidence.
A cemetery is a permanent land use with long-term infrastructure requirements. Any risks associated with historic mining activities, land stability and future subsidence need to be thoroughly assessed and that there will be no adverse impacts on public safety, infrastructure, burial areas or the surrounding environment.
Currently there is a mine subsidence issue near my workplace which has called for closure of part of the bank on river, where my workplace accesses almost daily and we are now restricted from entering. Surely this has to be a concern for the future.
We also have been told there is koala activity in the area, won’t this be a negative effect on them and their homes

Water Quality and River Contamination Concerns
I am concerned about the potential impact of the proposed development on local waterways, groundwater systems and downstream river environments.
A cemetery of this scale has the potential to affect water quality over many decades, given the size of the proposed development and the long-term nature of burial operations.
The Douglas Park area is characterised by creeks, drainage lines and connections to the broader river system. Any contamination of groundwater or surface water could have long-term environmental consequences for local ecosystems and downstream users.

Planning Consistency and Rural Character
As a local landowner, I am concerned about the inconsistency between planning controls imposed on existing residents and the scale of development proposed under this application.
For many years, planning controls have restricted more intensive development and subdivision opportunities within the area in order to preserve its rural character and environmental values.
We have been told numerous times that our properties zone, RU2, does not allow for subdivision of anything less that 20 acres. Some were denied the request to subdivide into 1 acre lots due to the zoning rules although our neighbours have 1 acre lots. It seems ludicrous that a development in the next street within the same zoning is permitted to have such a large scale development being considered.
The proposed development would introduce a major regional cemetery, crematorium, chapel and associated infrastructure into this rural setting. In my view, the scale and intensity of the proposal is inconsistent with the planning objectives that have guided and restricted development in the area for decades.
The rural-residential character of Douglas Park is one of the area's defining qualities and has attracted families such as mine to invest in and remain within the community. Approval of this proposal would permanently alter that character.

Conclusion
Whilst living in Douglas Park , I have seen the challenges associated with flooding, road access, environmental protection and planning pressures within the area. Based on this experience, I do not believe the proposed Douglas Park Memorial Park is an appropriate development for this location.
I respectfully request that SSD-68287712 be refused.

Thank you for considering my submission.