$11 million proposal to transform former forestry office site into townhouses on exhibition

In December, Western Sydney-based developer The Bathla Group submitted a development application to the Dubbo Regional Council proposing to transform the 1.35 hectare site on 2 Monash Street into a row of 48 two-storey multi-dwelling units.

"The proposed multi-dwelling housing seeks to provide additional housing supply [...] and is considered to be in the public interest," The Bathla Group say.

Located in a prime position between Monash Road, Chelmsford Road and Cobra Street, the units would be made up of a mixture of one and two bedroom homes.

The units would be situated along a new 9.4-metre wide road leading to a cul de sac with community open space and visitor parking.

Meanwhile, across the road, work continues on the redevelopment of the 100-acre former RAAF Base site.

The site was purchased by Andorra Developments in 2011 with grand plans for a residential and business hub featuring more than 400 houses, tourism and hospitality businesses and accommodation

Plans to redevelop the site - historically significant for being the location of a tent village during the Great Depression and the home of a major Air Force stores base during World War II - were approved by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage in 2018 and work on the site commenced in 2020.

The first phase of the project involved the removal of 700 trees from the site, planted as part of a cypress forest that helped to camouflage the depot during the war.

The Bathla Group say their proposed development will have "no adverse effect" on the heritage-listed former RAAF Depot or Andorra's redevelopment of the site.

"The site does not contain any heritage items and does not form part of a heritage conservation area however the site is in proximity to a heritage item," developers wrote in the application.

"The heritage item to the south of the site is the 'RAAF Stores Depot', the multi-dwelling houses are contained entirely within the subject site with a maximum proposed two storeys therefore, no adverse effect on the significance of the heritage item south of the site."

To make way for the development the existing on-site structures - including the former forestry office buildings, a greenhouse, a shed and a garage - will be demolished.

As well as heritage concerns, the application also addressed potential contamination on the the development site due to its past use as a commercial nursery.

"Based on the findings of the desktop review it can be stated with a reasonable level of confidence that the surface of the subject site is suitable for the proposed redevelopment as residential property," the review said.

"Given the uncertainties with regard to possible contamination of deeper soil layers, it is recommended that a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) be prepared, prior to further earthworks or construction activities being started."

The development application will remain on exhibition for public comment until the 28th of January.

What do you think of the plans? Let us know: allison.hore@austcommunitymedia.com.au

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: