Mant, a lawyer-cum-planner to assist the AHC, said at a
recent community consultation meeting that he wants to put the onus on the
Department of Planning by submitting a “complying application.”
The AHC, Mant and chief architect Peter Lonergan, informed
the community that a number of landmarks had been achieved in their attempt to
comply with the Department of Planning’s planning control requirements, which
they say are more superfluous than usual.
Owner’s consent has been obtained from the City of Sydney and other groups
with the Department of Housing, which owns three small sites near the AHC’s
offices – the only vested entity yet to ratify the draft plans.
Talks with RailCorp about a potential bridge extending from Lawson Street onto Eveleigh Street
have also ceased, reflecting the NSW Government’s hands-off approach until,
presumably, the Department of Planning approves the DA.
Minor changes include the addition of car parking with the
mix of residential to non-residential space still averaging around 50-50, said
Lonergan. “Height, foor-space-ratio and the residential and non-residential mix
summate to a good vibrant development,” said the principal architect.
The biggest hurdle John Mant anticipates is
Pemulwuy’s straying away from shop-to-top housing, where retail shops sit under
residential premises. Mant told the SSH that the Department-preferred model creates
a conflict of interest between residents, business owners and commercial
workers and considers it “inappropriate and unsafe” for Pemulwuy.
The Department of Planning will be keen to learn of the type
of businesses and residents the AHC is considering for the space. “We encourage
Aboriginal businesses to apply but we will be charging commercial rents and
they will be competitive,” said the AHC’s Peter
Valilis. “Residents will be one hundred percent Aboriginal.”
Interest from middle-income Aboriginal families far exceeds the number of vacancies
available, Valilis told the SSH, based on an independent survey undertaken by Sydney University.
This detail will not accompany the DA.
John
Mant said the 15,000 square metres of building planned is financially
manageable, but the AHC will wait until approval has been obtained before
approaching lenders. He did say the residential component can be built in
stages and that the AHC can strata them for sale or for rent.
Mick Mundine, CEO of the AHC, reminded the 30 plus crowd of
the project’s espirit de corps, “The next generation is suffering and caught in
a vicious cycle. We need to break that cycle and pave the way for its future.”
The AHC plans to submit the DA to the Department of Planning
at the end of August.
John
Mant with architect Peter Lonergan Photo: Ben Falkenmire
Source South Sydney Herald September 2007 – www.southsydneyherald.com.au