REDWatch SUBMISSION
REGARDING CARLTON
UNITED BREWERY SITE, CHIPPENDALE
MAJOR
PROJECT NUMBER 06_0171
I write on
behalf of REDWatch, the resident and community group which covers the area
under the administration of the Redfern Waterloo Authority.
REDWatch is
not had the time or resources to do a detailed analysis of all the documents
presented as part of the Concept Plan. REDWatch hence must leave detailed
responses on issues to organizations that have been able to do this detailed
analysis. In general terms from the discussions we have had with City of Sydney Councilors and
Staff and with residents involved in the Combined Chippendale Community Groups,
REDWatch supports the concerns they are raising in their submissions.
AS the local
Government body with previous responsibility for the CUB site and the
surrounding areas the proponent and the Department of Planning should take
special consideration of the submission form the City of Sydney Council.
REDWatch
wishes to make specific reference in our objection to the following issues
raised by the CUB Site concept Plan on
exhibition:
1. The
CUB site should have remained under the control of the City of Sydney and the CSPC and
not been called in as a major project.
2. The
Concept Plan does not justify the departures it makes from what had been
previously negotiated between the proponent and the City of Sydney Council. It should have done so.
3. The
Process used to establish the Experts report to the Minister did not allow for
adequate community consultation or discussion and as a result these
recommendations lacked community consultation or community support.
4. The
size and complexity of the concept plan were such that it was not possible for
the effected community to get an understandable overview of what was proposed
for the site and how it might impact on their neighborhood. The display held at
UTS we held at very short notice and were not adequately notified. They also
did not allow for any interchange between the proponents and those who have
reservations about the project.
5. To
allow full public consideration a re-exhibition of 2 months should be required.
6. REDWatch
is of the view that the project is an overdevelopment of the site. There can be
no justifiable planning basis for using either the maximum height under the
flight path or the height of the UTS tower adoration to justify the heights
under consideration. If the rest of the city to the north of the UTS tower
looked like this then the argument would be valid. It does not and the argument
falls.
7. REDWatch
believes there are significant livability issues with the concentration and the
associated sun access issues to residents in the development. These will impact
on the future community who will live in the development as well as those in
surrounding areas.
8. REDWatch
is of the view that affordable housing should be provided in all developments
and not cashed out to provide concentrations of affordable housing in other
locations such as Redfern Waterloo.
9. In
principal REDWatch objects to a sliding scale of affordable housing charges
which deliver a higher percentage for affordable housing if the densities are
higher. This exacerbates the conflict of interest between the governments’ role
of consent authority and beneficiary of the affordable housing contributions
from the project.
Based on all
of the above REDWatch objects to the proposal and is of the view that the
project should undergo a more rigorous examination and debate. The concept plan
should not be approved in its current state.
Yours
sincerely
Geoffrey
Turnbull
Spokesperson
REDWatch
c/- PO Box
1567
Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
Ph Wk: (02) 9318 0824
mail@redwatch.org.au
REDWatch
is a residents and friends group covering Redfern Eveleigh Darlington and
Waterloo (the same area covered by the Redfern Waterloo Authority). REDWatch
monitors the activities of government activities such as the RWA and RWPP and
seek to ensure community involvement in all decisions made about the area.