16/09/2026
I have created Stop Reckless Development so that we can keep up with the info and support neighbours fighting Developments that aren't as per regulation or safe.
A neighbour reached out to ask for help with getting neighbours to object to 699 Old South Head Rd Vaucluse.
In an area zoned for 3 floors the developers got the approval months ago then submitted and amendment to add basement parking + additional floor for 'affordable housing' = 5 floors!
We are not against Development but developers being sneaky NO!
Affordable housing with water views? Sure...
So many huge blocks coming up with 'affordable housing' as a loop hole to do what they want. There is no way people who need affordable housing will be able to pay the strata costs of these buildings!
Locals have also been crying out for additional public high schools for years.
The roads are gridlock 60% of the time, The water and electricity infrastructure are all in need to updating and capacity increase BEFORE more and more people.
There is also only one public high school across many suburbs.
So people will live in affordable housing and their kids travel across suburbs for school?
There are also issues with space not being adequate for the size of the builds and the engineers have deemed many places not suitable for huge apartment builds.
All of this makes the case for more thoughtful planned and safe development.
More info on this development here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JJDVkteev/
We need your help Neighbours! WE HAVE 2 DAYS!!
PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK WITH PEOPLE WHO AREN'T ON FACEBOOK it's the same info as below
https://stoprecklessdevelopment.substack.com/p/help-us-object-to-development-699
View Planning Alert here: https://www.planningalerts.org.au/applications/3546462
We would love to have more people share their objections to this development.
You can :
1. Download the word doc template and insert your info https://docs.google.com/document/d/1StKmK5JNpSbiqr6t42kP5uOR8T7jMtPT0s7AUTHTMI4/edit?usp=sharing
or
2. Copy and paste the info below
Send by 18 September 2026 to:
To: Kylie Lucas
Senior Development Assessment Planner
Waverley Council
[email protected]
Community objection is based on the following key planning and environmental grounds:
1. Incompatible Height, Bulk, and Scale
The proposed 5-storey height vastly exceeds the prevailing local character and height controls outlined in the Waverley Development Control Plan for Vaucluse. Most properties in our immediate vicinity are restricted to lower-scale 3-storey configurations. A 5-storey structure will introduce an excessive built form that dominates the streetscape, creates an aggressive visual bulk, and sets an unwanted precedent for over-development in a low-to-medium density neighbourhood.
2. Inadequate lot size
The subject site has an area of 395.4m². The proposal is ineligible for the mid-rise provisions of Chapter 6 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021, as it fails to meet the 500m² minimum site area standard and the site is NOT located within 400 to 800 metres of a nominated local town centre or railway station.
Furthermore, because the site area is severely constrained, a 5-storey residential flat building cannot realistically meet the building separation, deep soil, and solar amenity requirements mandated by the Apartment Design Guide (ADG). Consequently, the applicant’s arguments and justification for an affordable housing density bonus are inconsistent, as the site lacks the physical capacity to sustain the proposed bulk and scale.
3. Overshadowing and Loss of Solar Access
A 5-storey building will cast substantial shadows across adjacent properties during critical winter months. The submitted shadow diagrams fail to adequately demonstrate compliance with the minimum solar access requirements stipulated in the NSW Apartment Design Guide. Losing winter sunlight in those properties and backyards will directly harm our residential amenity and energy efficiency.
4. Unacceptable Loss of Views and Visual Privacy
The building’s excessive height and mass will cause significant and irreversible loss of views from surrounding properties. Under council planning controls, shared public and private view corridors towards local coastlines must be protected. Furthermore, the positioning of upper-level balconies and large windows directly overlooks the private open spaces and habitable rooms of neighbouring residences, severely compromising our fundamental visual and acoustic privacy.
5. Noise, Odour and Pollution
Adding another floor is likely to increase disturbance from construction activities. This will include heavy machinery, increased site activity, severe noise, dust, exhaust fumes, and unpleasant odours. Prolonged construction works may also increase the risk of moisture intrusion and mould development, potentially affecting the amenity, health, and wellbeing of the surrounding residents.
6. Traffic Congestion, Parking Shortages, and Construction Disruption
Vaucluse is characterised by narrow residential streets that are already congested with parked cars and local traffic, especially during peak hours and on weekends. Introducing a multi-unit high-density development would significantly elevate traffic volumes and increase the demand for parking, a burden that the current road infrastructure cannot accommodate. Furthermore, the extensive excavation needed for basement parking on this site would cause significant disruptions for an extended period, including heavy construction vehicles, noise, vibration, and dust, negatively impacting our quiet residential lane.
7. Geotechnical and Environmental Risks
The area’s landscape features intricate sandstone slopes and delicate water management conditions. The deep excavation and construction required for a 5-storey basement structure present significant risks, including the potential destabilisation of nearby properties, changes to natural groundwater patterns, and increased stormwater runoff towards coastal or harbour catchment areas.
8. Deceptive Tactics
The application seeks to introduce an additional layer beyond prior approvals (amending DA to DA-472/2025). Obtaining initial approval and then exploiting procedural loopholes by introducing affordable housing to increase height, bulk, and scale is misleading, deceives the consent authority, and erodes public trust.
Conclusion
For these reasons, we urge Waverley Council to refuse the whole Development Application in its current form as it is inconsistent with local environmental planning and detrimental to the character of Vaucluse.
