Timeline of Relevant Events

  • December 2015 Austio Property Group lodged the Forest Park Planning proposal with Hornsby Council.
  • Numerous submissions from local residents were submitted to Hornsby Council against the Planning Proposal.
  • April 2016 Hornsby Council rejected the Forest Park Planning Proposal. Please note due to the amalgamation of Councils that the site for this Planning Proposal is now within the City of Parramatta Council.
  • April 2016 Austino Property Group lodged Forest Park Planning Proposal (PGR_2016_HORNS002_00) for Pre-Gateway Review
  • 22 September 2016 Sydney West Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) review found strategic merit in the Planning Proposal and included 7 recommendations for the proponent to address
  • October onwards Austin Property Group and the City of Parramatta Council workshopping on Planning Proposal to address the JRPP’s recommendations. City of Parramatta Council preparing a report on the revised Planning Proposal.
  • November 2016 NSW Department of Planning and Environment asked the City of Parramatta Council to be the Relevant Planning Authority (RPA) for this Planning Proposal.  The Council have advised the Department of Planning they will accept the RPA position on the condition they can make the decision on the Planning Proposal after the Epping Planning Reviews have been completed.
  • January 2017 Save Epping’s Forest Park Petition (6 January to 18 January). 557 people signed the petition and this was presented to Amanda Chadwick, Administrator for City of Parramatta Council, during a meeting on 18 January 2017.  More petitions have since been received.  The petitions included comments on a number of concerns such as the traffic, tree loss and over-development in Epping.
  • 13 March 2017 Department of Planning and Environment advised the City of Parramatta they had been appointed as the Relevant Planning Authority. This allows Council to consider the planning proposal in the context of the wider Epping Planning Review project.
  • 27 March 2017 City of Parramatta advised that since we handed over the 557 petitions they have received more than 590 additional petitions.
  • July/August the Epping Planning Review’s Discussion Paper is scheduled to be put on exhibition in July/August.
  • 14 August 2017 Epping Planning Review presented to Council demonstrates good community support for the Council to purchase the former Epping Bowling Club site (725 Blaxland Road, Epping). Council claims the cost is prohibitive for purchasing the former Epping Bowling Club site and states alternative individual sites will be identified. The Epping Planning Review’s Epping Traffic Study is still to be completed.
  • August 2017 Amanda Chadwick, Administrator, City of Parramatta Council asks the Department of Planning and Environment for the Council to be the Relevant Planning Authority for the Austino Planning Proposal on the proviso the Council does not have to progress it until the Epping Traffic Study has been completed. This is to allow the Epping Traffic Study to inform the Council on the appropriate size, design and density for the Austino Planning Proposal. The Department agrees to these terms.
    9 September 2017 Amanda Chadwick resigns. Council elections and three Epping Ward Councillors are elected. Councillors Tyrrell, Davis and Wearne. The three Councillors generally express support for the Council to acquire more open space for the Epping Town Centre.
  • November 2017 Department of Planning and Environment announces that Austino has asked for an alternative Relevant Planning Authority to the Council on three occasions (December 2016, July 2017 and September 2017). The Department of Planning advises it has agreed to the proponent’s request. The Sydney Central City Planning Panel is appointed as the Relevant Planning Authority to replace the City of Parramatta Council.
  • December 2017 The Sydney Central City Planning Panel (SCCPP) begins working on the Austino Planning Proposal, with administrative assistance from the Department of Planning and Environment. The SCCPP is to submit this to the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) once developed. The DPE will then choose whether to progress the Austino Planning Proposal for Gateway determination. No timeframes are set for this. The DPE agrees for the Austino Planning Proposal to be informed by the Epping Traffic Study. It is anticipated that potentially the Austino Planning Proposal and the Epping Traffic Study could go on public exhibition simultaneously. This could mean the Austino Planning Proposal would need to go on exhibition for a second time so it can be reviewed in light of the Epping Traffic Study.
  • January 2018 The Department of Planning and Environment advises Save Epping’s Forest Park that if the Council expresses an interest in purchasing the former Epping Bowling Club site this will impede the Department rezoning it from RE1 Public Recreation land.
  • February 2018 City of Parramatta Council puts forward the proposal to get an independent valuation of the Bowling Club site (725 Blaxland Road, Epping)
  • May 2018 It is anticipated for the Council’s report on the Epping Planning Review, Epping Traffic Study and Austino Planning Proposal will be presented at a Council meeting and to the public sometime in the coming months.

E-mail: saveforestparkepping@gmail.com