News

IPC approves new 630-student primary school for Cecil Hills

Posted: 01.03.2021

The state’s Independent Planning Commission has approved plans for a new 630-student primary school in Sydney’s southwest.

The Saints Peter and Paul Assyrian Primary School will be built on a 29,350m2  site on Kosovich Place at Cecil Hills. 

The $30-million campus will comprise a two-storey school building with 21 general learning areas, administration and staff areas, two-storey multi-purpose hall and a single-storey library and canteen building organised around a central  ‘Civic Heart’.     

A whole-of-government assessment undertaken by the Department of Planning, Industry & Environment concluded the proposed school is in the public interest and is approvable subject to conditions. 

The state significant development application came to the Commission for determination in January this year because of opposition from Fairfield City Council due to concerns about the Project’s proposed built form, bulk and scale, traffic and parking impacts, flooding and stormwater, and wastewater management. 

After carefully considering all the evidence, Commissioners Peter Duncan (Panel chair) and Adrian Pilton  on Friday (26 February 2021) determined to grant development consent for the new K-6 school, subject to conditions. 

“The Commission finds that on balance, and when weighed against the Objects of the [Environmental Planning & Assessment Act], principles of ecologically sustainable development (ESD) and benefits, the impacts of the Project are acceptable and capable of being appropriately mitigated through the measures required under the conditions of consent imposed by the Commission,” its Statement of Reasons for Decision reads. “The Commission is of the view that the Project is in the public interest.”

It added: “Based on its consideration of the Material, the Commission finds that the Project should be approved subject to conditions of consent for the following reasons:

• the Site is in an area of projected population growth and increasing demand for primary school places and is suitable for the purpose of a new school;
• the Site is in an accessible location;
• adverse impacts of the Project on surrounding receivers have been considered in the layout and design of the school and would be further managed and mitigated by the imposed conditions of consent;
• environmental impacts have been avoided and mitigated where possible and residual impacts would be managed and mitigated by the imposed conditions of consent;
• the Project is consistent with relevant strategic plans;
• the development of the Site for the purpose of a new school is an orderly and economic use and development of land; and
• the development of the of the Site for the purpose of a new school will allow the anticipated social and economic benefits to be realised.”