Too many towers: thumbs down for Tigers' expansion

[Guest]

Too many towers: thumbs down for Tigers' expansion KELSEY MUNRO
July 9, 2010

THE controversial redevelopment of the Balmain Leagues Club has been rejected after a public meeting in Leichhardt last night heard fierce opposition to the scheme.

The proposal by the developer Rozelle Village, of which the former Balmain league player Benny Elias is a co-director, was defeated in a unanimous vote by the East Joint Regional Planning Panel, but the developer says it will continue to campaign for its three-tower complex.

Twenty-five of the 30 speakers at the meeting opposed the development because of traffic congestion and the affect on Darling Street businesses. ''This is no longer about the Tigers; this is about big bucks and big business,'' one resident said.

The developer told the meeting the design complied with the relevant planning controls.

But an independent traffic report for the council concluded the area would be in gridlock by 11am on Saturdays if it went ahead unmodified.

Details of the club's future form were not part of this development application, which would need to be the subject of another proposal, and many residents raised questions about whether the club would return to the site.

But the club chairman, Ian Traunton, told the meeting the only way the club would not be going back to its Victoria Road home would be if the application was rejected.

The mayor of Leichhardt, Jamie Parker, said the design review panel, the councillors and the independent review all highlighted problems with the development based on traffic, floor space and unresolved design problems. A spokesman for the developer said the decision would not end the development.

 

[system]

Greenie scum

 

[supercoach]

That could be curtains for tigers. I have a feeling the debt would be greater than the land value. It would also be very hard to offload now the basket weaving greenies have got involved. My dealings with Leichhardt council in years gone by were never a pleasant experience. You would think they would be bending over backwards for a ICON of the area

 

[Thaiger14]

The sole issue is traffic. Would be interesting to know if the independent traffic study took into account the proposed widening of the Iron Cove bridge. I can certainly see the traffic implications on Darling st and Victoria Rd given the intesification of the site. Needs to be a co-ordinated approach by Tigers, Council and the RTA to resolve this issue.

Iron Cove widening was a waste of time and money - needed to be an underpass through the darling st intersection with Victoria Rd - this would resolve the issues faced by the Club with this DA.

 

[sunshine_coast_tiger]

They should just by-pass the green led Leichhardt Council altogether and go straight to the Land and Environment Court.

As long as what they propose meets certain guidelines they should have far greater luck in the court.

Also they could go to the State Government and have it dealt with as a major project, which means the Department of Planning makes the decisions not Leichhardt Council.

I also believe Leichhardt Councils record of wins in the Land and Environment Court is minimal.

 

[sunshine_coast_tiger]

Also how bad is it that an icon of the area is being dictacted to by a bunch of mostly blow ins. I spent most of my life living in Balmain and the Leagues club has helped so many people in the area over the years.

Hopefully current tigers supporters still living in the area can get together and vote the greens out next local government election.

 

[Defiant]

So glad i moved out of that area… the council is full of nimby's and greens.

 

[Yossarian]

As someone else said they should go to land and environment if LMC votes it down and if (as the developer claims) it meets relevant planning regulations. It would be typical of the bone-headed populists and money wasting behaviour of council. Anyone who has had to deal with those clowns would be well aware of their track record. I mean fair dinkum, 20 people turned up so it's hardly a mass movement…

Parker is just an opportunist hoping for a state seat. Personally I think he's about as green as a ripe tomato and just as left wing...

 

[Tiger_Watto]

Wasnt this deal also screwed by the abondoment of the Metro Link?

So the people of Leichhardt are happy for this dead/tragic intersection to be left as it is? In its current state, its an eye-sore and a major stumbling block for Traffic. The State Government needs to step in and provide a suitable outcome for the Traffic regardless if this development goes through or not. Not to mention the value of properties on the Lilyfield side would flourish if this development was approved…

Good to see its not only the Maroochy Shire Council who have blinkers on!!!

If rejected, how does this impact the Financials for the Balmain side of the Wests Tigers?

 

[Thaiger14]

No use spending $$$ on legal costs, court fees, expert witnesses when it is not Council that is stalling the development. The Council makes a reccomendation to the Joint Regional Planning Panel who determine the application. They are stuck on traffic issues which need to be resolved. The Land and Environment Court and Department of Planning will also see this as a fundamental issue.

 

[Snake]

As I posted many months ago this development would not happen as is .. the Metro was the hook and it was never going ahead and the greens ,it always amuses me when buisnesses are used in this way if I was in buisness in that area I would be jumping for joy with the mass of people moving in with being inconvienianced for a period of corse .Now that the Tigers have taken the bait I feel they will either fold or relocate permanantly and not in the Balmain area so where does that leave them out of the area as most suburbs are already over serviced by Clubs and pubs.

 

[Gary_Bakerloo]

If rejected, how does this impact the Financials for the Balmain side of the Wests Tigers?

As you are probably aware, the Leagues Club does not have any equity in the Wests Tigers. Wests Tigers is a joint venture between the Balmain Football Club and the Wests Group (Wests Football Club, Ashfield and Campbelltown Leagues).

Others on the forum please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding of any impact of this decision not being approved relates to the donation to the joint venture made by the Balmain Leagues Club (approx $500k???). I was also of the opinion that this donation was not sustainable into the future with the leagues club in its current format and legislation (ie: pokies tax). If Balmain Leagues is unable to make its donation, the joint venture would obviously have to recoup this revenue through its the other sources such as sponsorship, membership, merchandise etc.

I guess there could also be the possibility of Wests Ashfield/Campbelltown making a contribution to the joint venture. The two Wests Leagues clubs make donations to Wests Football Club for the Wests representative teams (Ashfield) and junior football (Campbelltown).

 

[Snake]

So if that is the case that the Wests side of things have to pick up the tab that's not a joint venture? That's one side owning the lot.

 

[Yossarian]

As I posted many months ago this development would not happen as is .. the Metro was the hook and it was never going ahead and the greens ,it always amuses me when buisnesses are used in this way if I was in buisness in that area I would be jumping for joy with the mass of people moving in with being inconvienianced for a period of corse .Now that the Tigers have taken the bait I feel they will either fold or relocate permanantly and not in the Balmain area so where does that leave them out of the area as most suburbs are already over serviced by Clubs and pubs.

The Metro was meaningless. The club was always going to be redeveloped even before the Metro was announced. The new club will be built - they will just pull a Barangeroo (or whatever that place is called) and submit a smaller version.

 

[Yossarian]

No use spending $$$ on legal costs, court fees, expert witnesses when it is not Council that is stalling the development. The Council makes a reccomendation to the Joint Regional Planning Panel who determine the application. They are stuck on traffic issues which need to be resolved. The Land and Environment Court and Department of Planning will also see this as a fundamental issue.

It will get approved in some form eventually. Afterall the East Joint Regional Planning Panel is run out of the planning department of the State Government and these same bozos have just spent billions upgrading Iron Cove bridge. They will just have to keep less of the immediate traffic flow away from Victoria Road

 

[Snake]

Problem solved easy.

 

[alien]

If Balmain Leagues is unable to make its donation, the joint venture would obviously have to recoup this revenue through its the other sources such as sponsorship, membership, merchandise etc.

Or playing more home games away from our real home grounds (Campbelltown Stadium & Leichhardt Oval). :brick:

 

[TigerRock]

they should of bought the old Apia soccer club which is la Montage it would have been perfect. :unamused: :unamused:

 

[galahs]

If Wests are putting in more money than the Tigers, maybe its time to move the Wests Tigers HQ to the Macarthur

 

[sunshine_coast_tiger]

I believe the Wests Tigers have been set up in recent years to not rely on money from the club grants. It was good foresight by the joint venture board who realise that pookie money in the future will be less.

It is funny when I first went to Wests Asfield as a 16 year old sneaking into the disco that club was so crap compared to Balmain Leagues. Being on a train line and have the large Asian community move in certainly changed that clubs fortunes for the better.

Look it is a setback to Balmain Leagues but I know a few of the club officials they will never stop fighting and I am sure that some suitable plan will be approved soon. In my line of work I see so many reports by traffic experts on developments that amaze me.

I am sure we will get the right traffic expert to come up with a suitable report.

A change in government at state level may help as well. The Liberals have no love for the greens and don't really care about traffic problems in an area they will never win.

They will build things like the M4 East because it goes under safe Labour or Green seats. I am sure they will look more favorably on the Tigers redevelopment than the green led council and the current state government.

The joint venture will remain. Ideally I would like to see half of our home games at each traditional venue. As for Concord I can see why they use it, most of the players live in close proximity to the training ground.