We are retired and home
Our concerns are as follows;
The noise of construction
The traffic the construction on will create, parking access for these people while it's being created
The road access is poor, even if you widen the road Keefers Glen access is through two cultersac's via wagners and Brickendon, this will create conjestion throughout all of cobbs vilage and have a flow on impact around the whole community
Noises the busses will make and congestion if the school goes a head
The loss of privacy and our property valuation will be impacted, we know because we saught advice
Huge saftey concerns around how much traffic this will create.
People will be able to see into my house from class rooms, whish I am highly disturbed about
The loss of habitat behind our house
The noise from the school, the drivway being behind our homes and play area
The fact that council said no and the school wants to push a head regradless
We don't want the school being built, let along the access
There are trees there that have been there for YEARS and that will distub the white ants there, which will look for a home elsewhere and make their way into our homes, the loss of the native birds
We have pets and they will be disturbed by the noise and impact the school will have
We are strongly objecting to this school in any capacity being built in that area.

Traffic and parking issue and safety
Noise and disturbance of school and construction
Loss of privacy
Loss of environment
Safety of construction vechiles and busses
Operational noise of school, bells, children
We all have pets the noise will impact them
People driving on our property like they did before St Peters restricted access and cars on Keefers
Loss of property value
Council has already Said no to the application and you want to force it through knowing 99% of people dont want the school

I currently live on woodbury park drive. The amount of traffic that already uses this as a short cut is horrendous. I support the building of the school but I dont support the main entrance being into keefers glen. The roads aren't set up to handle the extra traffic, busses and not to mention the overflow of cars that wont be able to park in designated carpark. I along with many other residents do support the school but the entrance needs to be off gavenlock road and not onto keefers Glen.

I don't think this project will be a good idea for the residents of Keefers Glen, Brickendon Avenue and surrounding streets. Cobbs Village is not built to withstand the amount of traffic building a new school would bring. Cobbs Village is a quite estate that should be able to stay the way it is. If the traffic was directed to the front of the school via the front entrance then I don't really see an issue but if they were to make it dual entrance then it would impact the people and the roads that are already there. If I had known this was in the works then I would definitely not have purchased a house in this area as the traffic from the back fence was already bad enough and having another school there would make the traffic unbearable which is not what we expected when we bought in Mardi.
I hope you take my concerns into account as I feel they are valid as I pay my rates and I live close to the back school gates.

I object this project and provide a letter

As a resident of Mardi I object to the use of a minor narrow suburban street to be the main access point of the proposed school. The main access point must be from GavenLock Rd (or branch off existing Gavenlock Rd access into St Peters school).
Keefers Glen and it's feed-in roads off Woodbury Park Drive are not suitable for high traffic or large traffic (such as buses).
The local area is already suffering from significant congestion and inappropriate parking at school drop-off/pick-up times due to the pedestrian access into St Peters. The overtaxed local infrastructure cannot support a main entrance or additional traffic flows, particularly buses, as it is already at capacity. Please enforce Council recommendations that all vehicular access is via Gavenlock Rd.

The project addrsss is 84 Gavenlock Road Tuggerah but the school proposal is to access via Keefers Glen Cobbs Village which was beyond reasonable. Cobbs village and surrounding streets are designed for a small community of 160 residents, and Keefers Glen is a very quiet and narrow lane that cannot cope with the traffic & parking needs according to the proposal, also it will lead to significant impacts to local residents’ quality of life due to pollution from school buses, traffic from staffs and noise pollution. the school buildings are designed too close to the surrounding residential properties without proper consideration the impacts to the surrounding residents. I object to this project.

I object to the school land being subdivided and hence having the access onto Keefers Glen. Keefers Glenn is in a small strata village, designed for Cobbs village residents and visitors only. It was never assumed a subdivision and new special needs school would be built. It is a narrow, misshapen lane with 2 dog legs where only one vehicle can safely navigate in the lane itself and the passing vehicle must stop to give way. It has two more sharp dog legs onto Deloraine and Wagners. The residents struggle with this lane already. Particularly as school teachers and students park on the narrow nature strip and the new school will be at least 20 car parks short.
The area was not designed for such a large school , particularly with the transports needs of disabled students. No child is allowed walk to school and the majority live in other suburbs to the south. The garbage trucks have to often do 3 point turns on our roads.
The application led people to believe that the school was being built on 84 Gavenlock Rd Tuggerah, which comes off an industrial area and has a purpose built entry and road into the main school (St Peters) . There is no reason the school couldn’t be built on the same corner of land, but have its entrance at 84 Gavenlock Road. There is ample room for the existing internal road to continue to where the proposed car park is and the new school building could back onto Keefers instead of face it.
I believe the diocese wish to remove any burden of the new school from their students, parents and staff and place it all on Cobbs strata village for two reasons. One, so the new school has minimum impact on their environment and their students dont have to see severely disabled/high needs students disembarked from buses. This could be detrimental to the prestige of the college and may deter enrolments. The other most obvious reason is to save money. They are only laying a small section of bitumen and a token 30m? footpath that leads to no where. The rest of the lane is unfit for purpose yet they have not included any upgrades. To say the reason the entrance is on keefers is due to the students having pride in their own entrance is farcical. Im sure they’d have more pride and belonging, going through the entrance on Gavenlock with every other student, instead of being hidden away in a corner.
The road has an island where it joins Brickendon which trucks and buses would have to drive over to make the turn.
The burden, daily disruption and impact on the quality of life and the subsequent devaluation of homes in Cobbs village will be significant. Particularly in Keefers and Brickendon where the homes adjoining the new school sit much lower and will have people in a 3 storey building looking into their back yards and those below the bus pickup/drop off will have the passengers having full view of their yards. The filling in of the dam is very concerning as there’s already significant run off from the site.
The majority of residents appear to accept the school being built, however they don’t want the diocese to shift the burden to the community and a totally unsuitable road system, when it is perfectly feasible for the new school to have access off Gavenlock road

I am writing to submit my formal objection to the current proposed access points for the Eileen O’Connor Catholic School development. I would like to make it clear that I support the establishment of this much-needed school, which will provide essential education for children with special needs — a service that is currently scarce in the area. However, I object to the proposed access points, which are unsustainable, impractical, and do not take into account the current traffic conditions and impact on local residents. My concerns are outlined as follows:

1. Access Should Be via St Peter’s Catholic College Entrance
To ensure continuity, better traffic management, and minimal disruption to the local community, I strongly believe the access point should remain the same as that currently used by St Peter’s Catholic College. This location is more suitable to handle higher traffic volumes and is already integrated into the area’s existing traffic flow. Alternatively, if relocation is required, the rugby pitch area could be used for school development, and the pitch could be reinstated elsewhere within the grounds.

2. Brickendon Avenue – Inadequate for School Traffic
Brickendon Avenue is not suitable for single-lane traffic at all times. In the past month alone, from 12–5 pm, parked vehicles have created a single-lane bottleneck, causing delays and frustration for residents trying to access Hawthorn Place, Keeflers Glen, Richmond Mews. The introduction of additional school traffic will only worsen this, especially during school drop-off and pick-up hours.

3. Keefers Glen – Inaccurately represented in the report
The statement that Keefers Glen “generally accommodates a single lane of traffic in each direction and is subject to a 50km/h speed zoning” is inaccurate. Due to sharp bends and road width, this area functions more like a single right-of-way, particularly during peak periods (7–10 am and 2:30–6 pm). This area already suffers from high residential density, and additional school-related traffic would cause significant congestion during critical hours.

4. Outdated Traffic Study (2023 Data)
The 2023 traffic data used in the assessment is now two years old, and it does not reflect current conditions. With post-COVID-19 changes, workforce return, and population shifts, traffic volumes have increased significantly, particularly with more families moving into the area. This outdated data should be revisited, and a new traffic study must be conducted to accurately reflect current and projected traffic conditions.

5. Incomplete Trip Data and Ongoing Congestion
The Transport Impact Assessment shows 71 inbound and 14 outbound staff trips between 8–9 am and 2:30–3 pm. However, this doesn’t account for 57 staff movements, many of which likely occur during other peak traffic hours (up to 6 pm). These unaccounted trips will contribute to afternoon congestion, further impacting residents’ ability to access their homes.

6. Lack of Pedestrian Infrastructure
The lack of formal footpaths in Keefers Glen, Brickendon Avenue, Deloraine Glen, and Wagners Place is a serious concern. Students from St Peter’s Catholic College already walk these roads, and the development will increase pedestrian foot traffic on unsafe, unpaved verges, which are often privately maintained by residents. This not only increases safety risks but also encroaches on residential property and adds maintenance costs for homeowners.

7. Pacific Highway Incidents Affect Local Roads
When incidents occur on the Pacific Highway, Woodbury Park Drive and surrounding roads absorb excess traffic, creating high congestion levels. The proposed school traffic would compound this problem and needs to be factored into any impact analysis.

I fully support the development of the Eileen O’Connor Catholic School and recognize the importance of its educational mission. As a mother, with children who hope to attend a sister school in the area, I welcome the opportunity this project brings. However, I must strongly object to the proposed access points due to inadequate road infrastructure, outdated and inaccurate traffic data, the lack of pedestrian pathways, and the significant negative impact on local residents — concerns that have also been acknowledged by council and remain unaddressed.

I respectfully request that the proposed access points be reconsidered, and that alternative solutions be explored to ensure the development proceeds in a way that prioritizes safety, sustainability, and minimal disruption to the surrounding community.

Thank you for considering my concerns.

I am writing to formally object to the proposed development of the Eileen O’Connor School behind my property on Brickendon Avenue, Mardi. While I support education, I believe this particular site is entirely unsuitable for a school of this scale and function, for the reasons outlined below.

1. Inadequate Infrastructure and Road Access:
*The proposed school site sits within a small residential community designed for a maximum of 160 homes.
*Streets such as Keefers Glen and Brickendon Avenue are narrow and already experience high congestion during peak hours. *Adding school-related traffic will severely compromise road safety, especially for children and pedestrians.
* The school is proposing only 61 on-site parking spaces, yet requires 71 teacher spaces alone, not including:
- Additional staff
- Visitors
- Parents for drop-off/pick-up
- School buses and delivery vehicles
This shortfall will result in significant overflow parking on already crowded residential streets.

2. Existing and Worsening Parking Issues:
*Many of the homes in this area are duplexes, meaning double the number of residents and vehicles per block.
*On-street parking is already scarce. The development will add unsustainable pressure to an area that cannot accommodate more cars.
*Overflow parking from the school will likely result in:
- Illegal parking on verges and driveways
- Reduced access for emergency vehicles
- Constant inconvenience for residents

3. Noise Pollution:
*The existing school of St Peter's (which is further away from my home) already generates significant daily noise:
- Loud outdoor play sessions (three times per day)
- Overhead PA announcements throughout the day
*Therefore the proposed Eileen O’Connor School will be much closer, amplifying this impact.
*This would directly reduce my ability to enjoy my home peacefully and affect quality of life, especially for those who work from home (as I do) or have young children.

4. Severe Privacy Loss:
*Even with the current school (St Peter's) at a greater distance away than the proposed school, students can already see directly into my backyard and master bedroom.
*With the new school positioned closer, this issue will become far more intrusive, leaving mey with no privacy in our own home or yard.
*This is unacceptable in a residential zone and constitutes a major breach of amenity.

5. Devaluation of Property:
* The combination of increased traffic, lack of privacy, constant noise, and the industrial-scale use of a residential site will substantially devalue my property.
*Like many in the area, I invested in a quiet, low-density suburb. This proposal undermines that investment and will have lasting financial impacts on myself and local families.

6. Inappropriate Use of Land:
* The development of the Eileen O’Connor School in this location represents an incompatible use of land. It introduces institutional-scale activity to an area with infrastructure designed only for low-density housing.
* The impact will be felt by all residents of Mardi, not just immediate neighbours.

I respectfully urge Council to reject this development application for the Eileen O’Connor School based on:
1. Inadequate traffic and infrastructure capacity
2. Impact on residential safety, parking, and access
3. Loss of privacy and liveability
4. Devaluation of neighbouring properties
5. Incompatibility with the character of the local community

Thank you for considering this submission.
Yours sincerely,
Sharn Lenton