About 40 families living in a Lilyfeld public housing estate
are facing an uncertain future over Christmas after being told their homes are
to be redeveloped. A Department of Housing offcial delivered residents a letter
telling them of the news last week. The homes along Balmain Road and Edward Street, which are more than 40
years old, are to be demolished to make way for new public housing units.
Premier Morris Iemma announced the $21million development after a cabinet
meeting in Leichhardt yesterday as part of a $50 million plans to build 228
more Inner West public housing homes. Lilyfeld residents will be relocated in
three months to two years time and given individual help to fnd a new home. The
new buildings are not expected to be completed until 2011. Leichhardt Labor
Councillor Robert Webb, who has been living in the estate for 22 years, said
the buildings were old and in need of repair, but he was worried there would
not be enough local public housing to cope with the relocations. We ask the
question, is Waterloo
next? The Department of Housing track record of redeveloping public housing
estates is not good. Just ask people from Minto.
Source: Have You Heard? Edited by Trevor Davies in South Sydney Herald December 2006