news, local-news, Sydney, Rotolactor, Menangle, Camden

Menangle’s famous rotolactor is set to be brought back to life as a tourism destination with plans for a nearby housing estate recently approved by the state government. Countless Macarthur schoolchildren from the 1960s to the early '80s will remember visiting the Rotolactor. After closing in 1983 and falling into disrepair, a controversial development plan for the site sparked a "Save Menangle" campaign to preserve the village's historic character. But the NSW Department of Planning and Environment has now approved the rezoning of the site, opening the way for an ambitious development that includes 350 new houses and a tourism precinct. Mirvac will transform 40 hectares of land surrounding the historic site into a housing development. The developer will work towards lodging a development application for the first 100 homes with Wollondilly Council early this year. Mirvac general manager of residential development NSW Toby Long said the rezoning was the first step towards creating a unique lifestyle destination. “We are committed to further engaging with the council and the community to create a community that reflects the character of Menangle,” Mr Long said. “Our focus at this early stage has been to develop a plan that embraces the rural character of Menangle with appropriate housing and generous open space and guarantees the future of treasured heritage items such as the Camden Park Estate Central Creamery and Rotolactor. “This is something we have done with great success at Harold Park in Sydney where we restored and adapted the old tram depot to become Tramsheds. “In doing so we not only created a new community heart for the 3000 residents at Harold Park but a favourite new foodie destination for the wider community.” Mirvac’s masterplan proposal includes two new parks providing a children’s playground, fitness equipment, outdoor barbecues, seating and walks, and green buffer zones. Mirvac is developing the site in partnership with the landowners Benedict Industries and the Halfpenny family, who farmed the land and revived the much-loved Rotolactor before it closed in the 80s. The developers intend to repurpose existing structures and build complementary new buildings which may include a hotel, bakery, farmers market, lemon grove, under cover and open event spaces, function centre, restaurant, bars, children’s farm and playground, gathering spaces, store, cooking school, museum, micro-brewery and distillery, wine bar, bistro, vegetable gardens and outdoor amphitheatre. In October last year Souwest Developments director Ernest Dupere pledged to build a micro brewery, distillery, two restaurants, a farmers market, children's farm, vegetable garden and a hotel with 20 to 30 rooms. He expects the restoration of the heritage buildings and tourism development to cost more than $15 million and take two years. "Every single building gets restored," Mr Dupere said. "We're fantasising about having concerts. Given we've got our own train station, we don't see why we can't compete with the Hunter Valley." The plan includes an outdoor concert amphitheatre for 8000 people. The Rotolactor dairy was one of more than 160 dairies in the Camden-Macarthur area in the 1960s. Former Wollondilly mayor Judith Hannan told the Sydney Morning Herald last year that after years of opposition by some residents, she hoped the approval of the new development would attract tourists to Menangle. While most of the Rotolactor would need to be removed, the hope is the Creamery could be turned into "something wonderful" along the lines of Annandale's Tramsheds. "It's a really interesting old area," Ms Hannan said. "Now that it's approved I really hope these buildings get restored and become something that we're really proud of."

https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/XyDK2mdecfTpQsAbSqFiUd/e1197969-8aac-4229-9d07-40457f12a2f6.jpg/r7_13_2993_1700_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg