FAQs

Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has made a commitment to deliver a 200 space commuter car park at Jannali by 2024. Council’s car park at the rear of the shops on Box Road, at 42a Railway Crescent, Jannali, has been selected as the best site for the car park. At the same time, Woolworths has been exploring opportunities to build a new full line supermarket in the centre. This will require a large area, greater than their existing site, and additional parking. 

The Planning Proposal for the site seeks to: 

•    Rezone the land from SP1 Car Park to B2 Local Centre (consistent with the surrounding centre) – this will make the supermarket permissible on the Council car park site

•    Apply a Floor Space Ratio of 2:1 to the Council car park (consistent with the surrounding controls) – this will limit the scale of development 

•    Add a local provision  - this will exclude the floor area associated with a 200 space commuter car park from the calculation of gross floor area for the subject site

Without these provisions, a joint redevelopment for the purposes of a supermarket and commuter car park will not be feasible. 

The detailed design of the development has not yet been undertaken. However, the proposed development is expected to include a full-line Woolworths supermarket (approximately 3750m² GFA), 800m² specialty retail, a public open space/plaza area, and may include up to 150 residential units. No agreement has yet been reached with Woolworths concerning the extent of any residential component. A basement car park will be provided for approximately 600 car parking spaces, including 200 commuter spaces, parking for the supermarket and general shopper parking. 

Jannali is a local centre in the Sutherland Shire that has a number of strategic advantages; it is located at a railway station providing residents excellent commuting opportunities; it has a low speed main street; the footpaths have been widened; and it has attractive deciduous shade trees. 

However, the centre lacks a large supermarket and many residents choose to do their main shopping at the supermarkets at Sutherland, Kirrawee or Kareela. This proposal is anticipated to revitalise the centre. The proposal will facilitate a full line supermarket - an integrated development between Woolworths, Council and TfNSW. The supermarket will revitalise the centre and create opportunities for complementary business uses.

Properties in the commercial centre all currently have a 20 metre height limit. Below is an extract from the building height map of SSLEP2015 which shows that the car park and the Building Height map is not proposed to be changed. The new Jannali pub development at 34 Railway Crescent is within the 20m height limit.

Building height map extract from SSLEP2015.

Currently the Floor space ratio (FSR) on the Council car park site is unlimited. This creates some uncertainty for surrounding residents and the wider community.  The Planning Proposal will rezone the car park site, B2 Local Centre which is consistent within the surrounding properties. It will also apply a 2:1 floor space ratio to the site.

Floor space ratio is a measure of the amount of floor space in a building (Gross Floor Area), relative to the size of the site. A FSR of 2:1 means that the amount of floor space is a maximum of twice the size of the site. FSR controls are a way of limiting the overall bulk and scale of development.

A FSR of 2:1 is logical as this is what applies consistently across the centre. Any development on the land would be at the same intensity and scale as can be realised elsewhere in the centre. A FSR of 2:1 would result in a building consistent with the scale and density of the Jannali pub development at 34 Railway Crescent. 

Floor space ratio extract from SSLEP2015. 

The Planning Proposal seeks to ensure that development outcomes are not penalised by the commuter car park, by including a local provision in SSLEP2015 to exclude the area required to provide 200 space commuter car park (approximately 7,500m2  of floor space) from the calculation of gross floor area (GFA). Without this provision the car park will be considered floor space, even if it is in a basement (see Clause 4.5 of SSLEP2015). If the car park is counted as floor space it will limit the amount of floor space that could be used for other uses permissible in the zone, such as the supermarket, shops, or flats.

Gross Floor Area (GFA) is a measure of each floor area. GFA excludes, among other things, “car parking to meet the requirements of the consent authority (including access to that parking)”. As the use “car park” is a separately defined term and the commuter car park is a standalone use and not a requirement of Council, it is not excluded. Therefore the floor area of the commuter car park is counted as floor space, even if such is underground.  

The map extract below shows the Council car park and adjoining properties to the south fronting Box Road. At present, 535 Box Road, 557-559 Box Road and Box Lane are not part of the development site under consideration. However, it is prudent to also add the local provision to these properties to enable any future development to proceed as a whole.  

Extract from provision to exclude from FSR. 

The Council car park currently serves all businesses in the centre. Council intends to maintain this service by requiring Woolworths to provide two hours free parking to all users.

The Planning Proposal process does not lock in a design, rather it creates permissibility and broad development parameters - mechanisms that facilitate a future Development Application (DA). The actual design of the proposal is yet to be undertaken –Woolworths, Council and Transport for NSW are yet to finalise a design. 

Council will commission experts in design to develop a Development Control Plan. Once these changes are implemented, a Development Application will be lodged with Council. This is when the specific design will be assessed, and determined by an independent panel. The DCP Provisions are expected to include a requirement for public open space / plaza area, a perimeter access lane around the site to maintain vehicle access and controls to improve the relationships to adjoining properties. However, these will be subject to a design analysis and a separate community consultation. 

The development has not yet been designed. It is recognised that in the Shire traffic continues to escalate. Providing goods and services in proximity to public transport can ease traffic congestion. A detailed traffic assessment will be required at development application stage.

The Planning Proposal and all submissions will be considered by Council following this public exhibition. If the Proposal is considered to have merit and supported by Council, it will be forwarded to the State Government to be made. 

Once this amendment is made, a Development Application will be lodged.