The
New South Wales Government established the Redfern-Waterloo Authority (RWA)
only one year ago, with the support of the major political parties. In doing
so, the Government demonstrated an enhanced commitment to tackling the myriad
of issues that are necessary to drive a successful program of urban renewal.
People familiar
with Redfern-Waterloo are in little doubt about the need for social and
economic revitalisation. Indeed, many residents believe it is long overdue.
They are absolutely right.
With the release
of the RWA’s draft Built Environment Plan, along with the Employment and
Enterprise Plan and the Human Services Plan already in the public domain, the
community of Redfern, Waterloo, Eveleigh and Darlington needs to debate and
discuss the Government’s proposals from the starting point that urban renewal
is critically important to the future of their families, their homes and their
livelihoods.
Any community
naturally aspires to becoming a better and safer place. In the Redfern-Waterloo
context, this will only occur through appropriate and sustainable renewal of
the built environment, employment and enterprise development and reform to the
delivery and scope of human services – the three components which make up the
RWA’s overall Redfern-Waterloo Plan.
It is imperative
that the local community is a major beneficiary of the urban renewal program
and all of the RWA’s planning is being directed to this end. This is
particularly the case with the more disadvantaged sections of the community,
where unemployment and welfare dependency are major factors. As the Employment
and Enterprise Plan states:
The RWA’s employment and enterprise development strategy
aims to directly challenge the area’s social and economic disadvantage by
fostering jobs, educational and life opportunities and a higher standard of
living. Wealth creation is seen as an antidote to welfare dependency.
Following
community consultation, 2006 will witness the commencement of the Redfern-Waterloo
Plan’s implementation as part of the Government’s ten year strategy. The Plan
is being developed in stages as it is intended to be a living document which
builds upon its earlier priorities and strategies, with community input as an
ongoing feature. The Built Environment Plan component of the overall
Redfern-Waterloo Plan represents part of Stage One of this process.
Redfern-Waterloo
is a unique inner city area sited at the southern gateway of the Sydney Central
Business District (CBD) with significant potential for revitalisation. Its
physical attributes include its accessibility and infrastructure, proximity to
educational and health facilities, central location within the Sydney Airport
to Sydney CBD corridor and the availability of underutilised government land.
The revitalisation of the area is consistent with meeting the objectives of the
NSW Government’s Metropolitan Strategy for Sydney,
particularly in relation to creating more jobs and housing to meet the
increasing Sydney
population.
The area is
characterised by cultural and ethnic diversity. The traditional home of the Gadigal Clan of the Eora nation, Redfern is a centre
of major significance to the Aboriginal community which has a strong
association with the area.
Despite some
gentrification over the past decade, Redfern-Waterloo is less
socio-economically diverse than the rest of Sydney and is characterised by a
disproportionately high level of unemployment, public housing and social
welfare dependency. Job growth and investment in the area offers opportunities
to redress imbalances evidenced by the local community.
This Stage One
draft Built Environment Plan proposes a strategic planning framework to
facilitate revitalisation of the Redfern-Waterloo area and guide future
development on strategic sites by setting the parameters for future
development. It is intended to provide a holistic response to redevelopment
opportunities, deliver sustainable outcomes and to support a State
Environmental Planning Policy which will provide a consolidated and consistent
planning approach to the area.
The underlying
concept for the draft Plan revolves around the creation of a town centre with
an economic and civic heart focused around Redfern Railway Station and which is
connected through pedestrian linkages to residential and business hubs at the
Australian Technology Park, North Eveleigh, and Redfern and Regent Streets.
Fundamentally the
draft Plan is aimed at ensuring that benefits gained from redevelopment and
economic prosperity are shared by the whole community, especially local
residents and businesses by facilitating:
• the provision of about 18,000 jobs
• the construction of around 2,000
new dwellings which will provide greater housing choice, demographic and
socio-economic mix and is supported by an affordable housing program
• an upgraded Redfern Railway
Station, civic square and public domain improvements promoting better amenity,
safety and surveillance
• the establishment of cultural and
community facilities
• improved opportunities for the
establishment of Aboriginal enterprises and cultural facilities
• high quality urban design and
architecture.