MEDIA RELEASE
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8 December, 2017
The “topping out” of Blacktown’s tallest building is a major marker of the city’s redevelopment, according to Blacktown City Mayor, Stephen Bali MP.
Mayor Bali yesterday attended the topping out ceremony of the 24-storey Altitude Tower on Boys Avenue in Blacktown CBD.
“Altitude is the first of a series of high-rise buildings that will soon dot the Blacktown skyline,” he said.
“It is also proof positive that Blacktown City Council is keeping up with high speed of development happening in Western Sydney.”
The custom of “topping out” signifies the building has reached its expected height and can be traced to the ancient Scandinavian religious rite of placing a tree atop a new building to appease the tree-dwelling spirits displaced in its construction.
A common practice around the world, the modern variant is for the last beam to be painted white and signed by all the workers involved.
“Blacktown can expect to see many more trees on building tops in the near future,” Mayor Bali said.
“There is half a billion dollars’ worth of buildings either underway or planned for the Blacktown CBD.
“That translates into 21 developments, most of which are between 18 and 24 storeys tall.”
The statistics speak for themselves, Mayor Bali said.
“More than $4.1 billion in development was approved in Blacktown in the 2016/17 financial year, which is close to the $4.8 billion approved in the previous three financial years ($1.15B in 2013/14, $1.55B in 2014/15 and $1.85B in 2015/16).
“Despite this massive increase, our planning team has not been flooded, indeed they have become faster.
“Our average approval time of 72 days in 2015/16 is a reduction from the 84 days of 2014/15, even in the face of the additional development.
“This is testament to the dedication and commitment of assessment staff in working with our development partners,” Mayor Bali said.
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