Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Luddenham Memorial Unwanted: No Luddenham Cemetery near Farmlands

***Update 18th January 2012:
DA11/1445 Application has been relodged by Stimson Consultant Services Pty Ltd on 23/12/11

Same sh*t, different smell ...aptly sums up the situation.

Why is it that rural residents always get hammered by developers? Is it due to the lack of density?

Are submissions lodged into council based on quantity of objections or percentage of household in the area? If it's based on the latter, then that would be more in community interest however if it's the prior, then that would be a severe disadvantage for rural residents.

There's a Luddenham Action Group on Facebook which you can join for the most up to date info on this problem: http://www.facebook.com/pages/No-Cemetery-and-Crematorium-in-Luddenham/119239951474962?sk=wall

Back onto topic, judging by the Googlers out there, if you are seeking information on this issue you can:

a) Google search: Penrith City Council
b) Click on the subsection title: Planning and Development
c) Click on: Application Search
c) Your DA search should be: DA11/1445 (You need to type that in exactly for the DA to be pulled up from the database)

A summary of the new application just recently lodged:




Click on image to see a larger version.



Luddenham Memorial Park Cemetery and Crematorium is not Wanted
- DA10/1208 on Lot 1 DP 529885 No 2207-2223 Elizabeth Drive, Luddenham NSW 2745.
The proposed site is about 100m from the Northern Rd/Elizabeth Drive roundabout.


***Update 21st April 2011: Council rejected the application. A win for farmers and rural residents.


Although this topic may not seem relevant to a financially orientated blog, it is still relevant in terms of protecting your property rights and your business interest if you have a neighbour who has lodged a Development Application (DA) that is detrimental to your business or your health and way of life.


Penrith City Council has received a development application for a Luddenham Memorial Park, Cemetery and Crematorium to be built in the middle of agricultural farm lands. Farms that are growing figs, vegetables, olives, fruit and raising beef cattles, poultry and eggs for Sydney and Australia's consumption. Their dams will be receiving run off in the event of rains and storms from the site that is proposed for burial grounds. There are a multitude of reasons as to why the proposal should be opposed, which I will illustrate further below. It will also mean that the Luddenham Model Park also known as Sydney Society of Model Engineers, one of the oldest engineering model club in Australia and the oldest, continuously operating Model Engineering Club in the World, will be forced to close if this development goes ahead.


How to oppose this Development Application (submissions close 31st January February 2011):1) Call Sascha on 0404 659 043 or email her on sascha_vuk@hotmail.com who is in charge of this and she can help guide you in any of the steps listed below.


2)Download and print the petition and the individual submissions, council will count both individually:
* Letter outlining the issues and a copy of the petition

* The petition that you can ask family and friends to help sign by clicking here* Individual submissions that your family and friends can sign
3) Write an individual submission against the DA with your argument formed objectively and you can find ideas on how to object to it from the research that the committee members have collated by clicking here


Email your submission directly to all the council members (kaylene.allison@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au, greg.davies@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au, jackie.greenow@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au, malkoc@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au, kevin.crameri@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au, ross@rossfowler.com.au, ben.goldfinch@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au, kathryn.presdee@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au, karen.mckeown@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au, jim.aitken@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au, robert.ardill@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au, mark.davies@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au, prue.guillaume@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au, john.thain@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au, tayna.davies@nsw.liberal.org.au)


4) If you use Facebook or have friends using Facebook, join the protest group site No Cemetery and Crematorium in Luddenham on Facebook and write comments opposing the DA


5) There will be a community meeting at the Luddenham Model Park where council members and members of the Liberal and Labor Party will be present to listen to the community's views on this proposal. Ensure you show your support by turning up at the following location:


Date: Saturday 22nd January 2011
Where: Luddenham Model Park @ 869 Luddenham Road, Luddenham
When: 2pm-5pm
Who: Everyone with an interest is invited, there will be council members and political Members of Parliament attending


6) Read the following news articles that have been published and submit comments about your opposition to this DA. It has been published at the following newspapers:

* Penrith Star Article: Not in our Backyard, residents oppose Luddenham Cemetery - read and comment, the press will maintain their interest in this DA if the public shows that it is something that is relevant to us.
* Another Penrith Star Article
* Penrith Press Article: Neighbours Dig In, Luddenham Memorial Park not Wanted
* Liverpool Champion Article: Luddenham Dead-Set Against Cemetery (the irony of that byline)
* Another Liverpool Champion article: Anger at Luddenham Cemetery Plan by Anne Tarasov and Gemma Seymour

What do you need to do to compose an individual submission if you have your own research?

* Address your submission as:
 

To: The General Manager
Penrith City Council
PO Box 60
Penrith NSW 2751
Email: pencit@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au
Fax: 02 4732 7958


* You must include the reference number and the address of the property that the development application relates to. In this case you must include:

Ref: DA10/1208: Proposed Crematorium, Cemetery, Memorial Gardens with Associated Buildings and Car Parking at Lot 1 DP529885 No 2207-2223 Elizabeth Drive LUDDENHAM NSW 2745


* Clearly state the reasons why you object to the development proposal. Outline how it will negatively affect the enjoyment of your land or affect you. Do your research, illustrate facts, list points and if you have any source documents or websites, note the source in your letter

* Ensure that you include your name, contact number, signature and date the letter.
Sascha will be compiling all the letters and petitions to be lodged to Penrith City Council. You can send your petitions and letters to the following:
To: Sascha Vukmirica
PO Box 885
St Marys NSW 1790
OR Email: sascha_vuk@hotmail.com


If you are against this proposal and want to help in any way, please refer to the action points listed above for you. Also, feel free to ask questions in the comment section, contacting Sascha on 0404 659 043 or email me at cardilicious@gmail.com (copy and paste the email address onto your email) if you need any clarifications.



The proposed site does not even have reticulated water (town water) or council sewerage. They expect to operate the entire place on rainwater runoffs, tank water brought in by trucks and have a massive onsite sewerage system facility.


As all residents know, there was a drought for several years where there was NO RAIN and almost everybody's dam was empty. How can they run a cemetery, crematorium, florist and onsite restaurant and cafe without city water and just by using tank water? Onsite sewerage systems have been known to malfunction from time to time, the whole entire suburb will reek if their sewerage system should malfunction.


Last but not least, the block cradles a ridge, which is a high land point and is very windy. Ashes can carry for several hundreds of metres onto farm land where animals are grazing and drinking dam water. It can carry onto property roofs which are used to collect drinking water for households.


Will Penrith City Council or the developers put their hands up to assume responsibility for future liabilities should businesses fold and collapse because of the development? Will they also reimburse residents who get sick from drinking contaminated water due to the crematorium and the ashes from the development? 

If any customers, residents, crops or livestocks get infected, sick or contaminated because of this development, Penrity City Council and the developer should be held accountable.

 Updates on this topic can be accessed here:
* Post: Say no to Luddenham, Greendale and Bringelly Cemeteries and Crematoriums

1 comment:

  1. The JRPP (Joint Regional Planning Panel)has approved the Greendale Crematorium at 992 Greendale Rd Greendale.
    The decision was made last Thursday in a manner which could only be decribed as a sham.

    The Panel failed to consider submissions from residents and in an arrogant way dismissed attempts by the Council panel members (2 Councillors)to defer the decision until additional information was provided.

    The three Goverment appointed members on the panel displayed an attitude arrogance before a large gathering of community members.

    All residents were limited to 3 minutes each to make presentations. A resident who was critically affected by the proposal asked for extra time and was refused. The Town Planner representing the community was cut of after 3 minutes and was unable to complete his presentation.
    Many residents have made official complaints to the JRPP. The Premier has been contacted by numerous members of the community.
    The performance of the JRPP was described by many as disgusting.

    ReplyDelete