27 February 2007 - Ordinary Meeting of Council (pdf. 14MB)

Ordinary Meeting of Council - 27 February 2007 7 / 2
Item 7
P54824
19 February 2007
PURPOSE OF REPORT
To provide Council with details of a request from energyAustralia for a short term lease over a
portion of Council owned vacant land at 5 Suakin Street/986 Pacific Highway, Pymble (lot 1 in DP
830320).
BACKGROUND
energyAustralia own and operate a Zone Substation at 982 Pacific Highway, Pymble adjacent to
Council’s new depot site. Currently energyAustralia is preparing plans for major repair works to
the substation transformer’s elevated roadway. Extensive steel corrosion and concrete spalling of
the internal roadway has compromised its structural capacity and energyAustralia propose to
demolish the roadway and replace it with an identical structure.
In order to facilitate the works, energyAustralia requests a short term lease over a portion of
986 Pacific Highway, Gordon.
Council has received by letter (Attachment A) a request from energyAustralia to lease a portion of
the Suakin Street depot site.
COMMENTS
The Suakin site is vacant land with a total area of 13,050sqm. The area subject to the proposed
short term lease is approximately 2,000sqm (Attachment B). Lease conditions are detailed in the
confidential attachment (Attachment C - confidential).
The site is currently zoned Special Uses 5(a) and as the intended use is consistent with the zoning
and as the works are temporary, a Development Application is not required.
energyAustralia requires the site from March 2007. The timing for the assessment processing,
approval and calling of tenders for the construction of Council’s new depot on the site is likely to be
carried out during this lease period and will therefore not conflict with the proposed construction
period for the new depot.
Representatives from energyAustralia have confirmed that the substation is listed on the State
Heritage Register. As such, energyAustralia has sought the appropriate approvals for the work
from the NSW Heritage Office to ensure the heritage values of the site are preserved. The Heritage
Office have approved energyAustralia’s application for a S57 (2) Exemption Notification Form.
As these works constitute the replacement of an existing structure within the substation,
energyAustralia is not required to submit a Development Application to Council. energyAustralia
will be preparing an environmental assessment for the works in the form of a Review of
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