MADDENS PLAINS GOLF SUBURB
Dear Editor,
In further research into the proposed Golf Resort at Maddens Plains, the applicant has clearly stated in their Concept Proposal that the resort has always been envisaged to be a "holiday home" type of development particularly in relation to the villas. The target group of residents are people who own a primary place of residence elsewhere and who would use the golf resort as a holiday retreat.” In other words, it’s a holiday home, a second place of residence, a dwelling.
They would be selling the villas, etc and refer to the number one members of the resort as “owners”. The interesting thing it also seems to be quite clear that even though they own the villa, etc, they will never own the land it sits on as it will not be Torrens Title.
The reality is nothing more than what other real estate developers offer - homes in estates with sporting facilities, but not in the middle of nowhere and a sensitive biodiversity region. To make it worse, like cabins in a caravan park, they will not even own the land.
So it still a subdivision where individual places are to be sold off. This is why the proposal was knocked back in the first place by all authorities.
One must query why 20 primary schools are mentioned between Thirroul and Helensburgh, if as, they claim, the Resort is for tourists. Of what interest is this to owners or tourists who are suppose to stay for 42 days in a row or 150 days during a 12 month period as per selling conditions? The applicant makes no attempt to explain this incredible statement. QUESTIONABLE COSTINGS
In more information on the Golf Resorts proposal for Maddens Plains, the applicant states that a new water main from Woronora Dam to Helensburgh Reservoir could be built to allow for a new main line to be built to the resort. This, they claim, would have to be paid for by the applicant themselves and once completed, would be handed over to Sydney Water for ownership. However this is pure speculation on the applicants part as they state “could be” in their documentation and provide no final figure costing.
Enquiries to Sydney Water indicate no knowledge of this proposal for a new pipe from Woronora Dam to Helensburgh and out to the resort. They also find it hard to believe that a developer would pay an extremely large amount for such a project. There seems to be no verification documentation from Sydney Water on the Dept of Planning site.
Sydney Water then told me to contact their agents in Wollongong. Not only had they not heard of this supposed new water mains pipeline, they hadn’t even heard of the development proposal of Links Living at Maddens Plains!
A costing of $3,144,000 for a water mains from Helensburgh is in the total cost break down of this proposal. But they are not going to build it! They don’t even include this supposed new pipe line from Woronora Dam to Helensburgh, most likely because there is no guarantee they will build it. They also need the bigger pipeline from Woronora. It’s all a concept on the basis that it may happen.
The question then arises where are they going to get the water from for the onsite reservoir to support the owners. And why is it still in the cost breakdown?
Documents available on the Sydney Water web site are setting a State Government standard for a 30 YEAR VISION in having pristine catchments available, including the catchments of the Project area.
A connected mains sewer will not be constructed either. An on site recycle system will be implemented, yet the cost of mains sewer connection is still in the equation of the estimated total cost of $107 million.
By taking out the amount of the supposed, could be happening, of the mains water pipe combined with the non-existent off site sewer mains cost of: $3,353,000, this reduces the the total amount to $101,437,630. Just a little over the $100 million mark for 3A approval process
Yours Sincerely,
Alan Bond | 
