A vision plan for the Penrith Lakes Scheme is only months away from the public consultation stage according to Penrith MP Stuart Ayres, as rehabilitation works increase at the 1350ha site on the Nepean River.
Visiting the Castlereagh site on Tuesday afternoon with Mr Ayres, NSW Planning Minister Pru Goward said that one of the most important pieces of infrastructure for the Penrith Lakes Scheme is nearing completion.
Penrith Lakes Development Corporation has spent $11 million on a 420m weir that will absorb flood waters from the Nepean River to protect land and towns further downstream, as well as provide the Penrith Lakes with its unique man-made lakes.
“It’s very impressive – 420m and it will make an enormous difference to the capacity to be able to develop the Penrith Lakes site,” Ms Goward said.
“The weir does a couple of things; it feeds the lakes, it stops flooding downstream, and it is pivotal to turning this quarry site into a beautiful place to live.
“It’s an outstanding, probably world class example of rehabilitation for a quarry complex.”
Penrith Lakes Development Corporation has already submitted development applications to Penrith City Council for the development of urban precincts on the site near Castlereagh Road.
Ms Goward said that Penrith Lakes will become a sought after urban area, given its proximity to the Blue Mountains and Nepean River, along with major projects like Badgerys Creek airport.
“We are very keen to see additional housing out here,” she said.
“We just need to make sure it is safe and that all the flood mitigation works are done before people start to develop the lakes as an urban area
“This makes Lake Burley Griffin look like a bit of a pond. We do things big in western Sydney and this will be a signature for western Sydney.”
Mr Ayres said that public consultation on the future of the Penrith Lakes could begin before the end of the year.
“We still have a lot of work to do. We want to work with PLDC to make sure we have the appropriate structure and plans for the site. We want to engage with the community around how this site evolves,” he said.
“I have been working very closely with Minister Goward to develop a vision plan and a discussion paper. We are hopeful that we will have that in the community domain by the end of the year.”
The weir itself is due to be completed by December 2014.
“Quarrying at the site is drawing to a close after nearly a century and the Scheme is moving quickly into the next phase of its life,” a PLDC spokesperson said.
“Already major lakes and landforms have been created, land and waterways rehabilitated and iconic species have returned to the area.
“The next phase of the Scheme, urban development, has commenced with the rezoning process now underway.”
