Lake Macquarie Private Hospital

806

New South Wales 2290

12/05/2025

Object

Website

Submission: Objection and Feedback – Lake Macquarie Private Hospital Expansion SSD-38025700 and SSD-71941462 I am a resident living in a house on O’Brien Street, directly opposite Lake Macquarie Private Hospital. I am writing to raise serious concerns about the proposed expansion, particularly the nine-storey option, and to request that residential impacts be properly considered in the decision-making process. Privacy Impacts Our home already experiences significant privacy issues due to the current hospital structure. Staff and visitors have openly commented while walking past our home, on how easily they can see into our house and backyard from existing hospital areas. The proposed expansion, particularly the taller, nine-storey tower, will dramatically worsen this issue. It will invite hundreds, if not thousands, of people to look directly into our home, backyard, and those of our neighbours, every day. This is a serious loss of privacy, and no resident should have to live with this level of exposure. While the application mentions tree planting to reduce visual impact, this will have minimal effect if the taller tower is approved. Trees cannot screen a nine-storey building. The current plan shows a clear disregard for the private nature of our homes and yards. The visual impact assessment must consider not just view lines, but the sheer number of people regularly overlooking our homes, and the lived impact of that. Visual Impact and Overshadowing We are deeply concerned about the scale and appearance of the proposed development. A nine-storey structure is completely out of character with the surrounding area, which is made up of low-rise homes and smaller buildings. The proposed tower would be an eyesore, clearly visible from many surrounding streets, and not in keeping with the established look and feel of the area. Additionally, such a tall structure would cast substantial shadows, particularly in the morning, blocking natural sunlight from reaching our home and others nearby. This will impact not only light inside our homes but also our ability to enjoy our outdoor spaces. Lighting Impacts The lighting from the hospital at night is already intrusive. With the current structure, our home is affected by brightness well beyond typical street lighting. A larger, more intensively used facility will only make this worse. The increased height, number of windows, and usage at night will add to the light pollution affecting our homes, with no proposed mitigation that effectively addresses this issue. Traffic Safety and Street Function Traffic flow and parking on O’Brien Street are already problematic, and the proposed expansion will significantly worsen these issues. One of the most serious problems is dangerous U-turns, which occur daily at both the Casey Street–O’Brien Street intersection and the Sydney Street–O’Brien Street intersection. Drivers who miss the emergency entrance or are trying to navigate from the back to the front of the hospital often perform sudden, illegal U-turns, putting local residents at constant risk. I am nearly hit by a vehicle performing one of these turns on a daily basis. These movements are unpredictable, unsafe, and highlight the urgent need for a better traffic management plan. A roundabout at one of these intersections, particularly Casey and O’Brien, could help slow traffic and improve safety for residents and hospital visitors alike. Parking Issues Parking on the street remains a serious concern, despite the new hospital car park. There are no line markings, and drivers routinely attempt to squeeze three cars into a space meant for two, leading to cars overhanging and blocking driveways. We and our neighbours have been unable to leave our homes on multiple occasions, sometimes missing work or appointments, because our driveways were blocked by poorly parked vehicles. This problem will only grow worse if a larger facility draws more staff, patients, and visitors to the area. Scaled-Down Option We may be more open to the six-storey option if, and only if, it includes: A full visual impact assessment that considers how many people will have direct lines of sight into residential homes and yards, not just theoretical angles. Effective privacy measures such as frosted or angled windows, increased setbacks, and screens that shield residential homes from hospital views. Lighting controls to limit brightness and reduce light spill into neighbouring homes at night. Commitments to improve traffic safety and parking, including marked spaces, enforcement, and consideration of a roundabout. In Summary We respectfully ask the Commission to: Reject the nine-storey proposal (SSD-38025700) on the basis of excessive height, privacy invasion, visual disruption, light pollution, and overshadowing. Only support the six-storey option (SSD-71941462) with enforceable conditions that protect residential amenity, privacy, and safety. Take action to improve the traffic and parking issues on O’Brien Street through street redesign and traffic calming. Consider the cumulative impact of all these issues on residents who already experience disruption from the hospital’s operations. We understand the importance of health infrastructure, but the needs of residents and the liveability of the surrounding neighbourhood must also be respected. Sincerely, Resident from O'Brien Street