The redevelopment
of the Waterloo Estate is of enormous strategic importance to NSW and the
Waterloo community, but the proposal is in limbo because of disagreement
between the City of Sydney and Land and Housing
Corporation (LAHC).
I commend the City
of Sydney and LAHC for bringing their respective visions for the Waterloo
Estate (South) planning proposal more closely together, but it’s clear that
agreement is still a long way off.
This project won’t
just bring forward vital economic stimulus, but will also provide important
social housing for the most vulnerable in our community.
The resolution from
the City of Sydney at Monday night’s meeting means the proposal won’t be
forwarded to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) for
gateway determination straight away. This is a further delay to the project
that will only prolong the stalemate.
I have written to the Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda
Pavey and Lord Mayor Clover Moore asking that LAHC and the City work together
to break the deadlock and find a solution by Friday 12 March.
If the City and LAHC cannot break the
deadlock I will appoint the DPIE Secretary as the alternate planning proposal
authority, with advice from a panel of three independent experts to assess this
project within 10weeks.
The disagreements
been the City and LAHC relate to the scale of the development and funding for
infrastructure.
If I’m forced to
appoint the Secretary to take on Council’s role in progressing the planning
proposal, I will ensure there is advice from the independent panel, which will
be made up of independent experts in economics. development feasibility,
strategic planning and urban design.
This is one of the
state’s largest urban renewal projects ,which involves a generational
redevelopment of our public housing estates, close to the Government’s historic
investment in Sydney Metro. The time is now for us to make progress on the
Waterloo proposal, and it’s important we get on with the job of renewing public
housing, capitalising on infrastructure investment, and creating great places.
Source: Minister Stokes media release.
Following the media statement some more information came out via the Sydney Morning Herald in the following article.
Minister says housing agency ‘mistaken’ if
they think he’ll do their bidding for Waterloo
NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes says the
City of Sydney’s plan to redevelop the Waterloo public housing estate is
superior to the one originally put forward by the state government agency
overseeing it and the latter is mistaken if they believe they will get what
they want.
But he also said the council failed to
reach a conclusion in a dispute with Land and Housing Corporation – the
authority responsible for social housing – over the scale of the development,
after warning on Tuesday he would intervene if a deadlock wasn’t resolved
within weeks.
“The
plan that the city have gone with is much better than the one that was
originally put forward by LAHC, so having this process of mediation and
discussion has produced a much better outcome, but it’s still not an outcome
which is acceptable to both of the parties,” Mr Stokes said.
The shape and density of the redevelopment
has triggered debate between the council and state
government since plans to demolish existing homes and rebuild the precinct with
a mix of public, private and affordable housing were announced in 2015.
The council, which is responsible for
assessing LAHC’s proposal, voted on Monday night to approve a revised plan of Waterloo South, comprising 3000
homes in medium-rise buildings and three towers.
That was instead of nine towers suggested
by the corporation. The council’s plan also includes a wide central
thoroughfare lined with trees and shops, new streets and two parks.
Mr Stokes has written to Housing Minister
Melinda Pavey and Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore to demand that they work to
break the deadlock by March 12. He warned he would ask Planning Department
secretary Jim Betts to assess the project within 10 weeks if the two parties
couldn’t reach an agreement.
“If we end up with
a plan that no one’s going to deliver, then that’s not a plan at all. That’s a
plan to do nothing, so clearly, and sometimes when there is planning failure,
that’s when a government steps in to try and mediate it,” he said on Wednesday.
Mr Stokes didn’t want to reflect too much
on the housing agency’s thinking, but said: “Maybe they thought ultimately,
‘you know, if we push our own way we’ll force the Planning Minister to step in
and give us what we want’.”
“My message to LAHC is: no, that’s not what
I intend to do.
“Certainly if LAHC believe that by me
stepping in they’ll get exactly what they want, they are mistaken. Equally …
it’s incumbent on the city to get to a conclusion, and they’ve demonstrated
that they can’t do that.”
Ms Moore said it was “unfortunate it has
come to this” but she welcomed the intervention “to force LAHC to respond to
the city’s amended planning proposal for Waterloo South”.
“I also welcome the Minister’s call for
LAHC to focus its efforts on finding a solution with the city and provide the Department of Planning with its full costing
analysis,” she said.
Source:Sydney Morning Herald article by Angus Thompson and Megan Gorrey February 25, 2021 Minister
says housing agency ‘mistaken’ if they think he’ll do their bidding for
Waterloo