The Ashmore
Precinct is located in Erskineville and is bounded by Ashmore Street, Mitchell
Road, Coulson Street and the Bankstown rail line. The City of Sydney intends to
see the 17-hectare Erskineville site transformed from a light industrial zone
to a thriving residential area. In Council’s vision for urban renewal of the
precinct, Ashmore Estate will provide much needed new homes, public open space
and local services to the inner city.
But
residents are concerned that the proposed project is an overdevelopment of the site
and that it lacks coordinated development of infrastructure to manage the
increased demand it will create – particularly for water infrastructure, public
transport and traffic systems as well as school and preschool facilities in the
area, all of which are already under strain.
The
community also expressed dissatisfaction in finding itself caught in the middle
of a disagreement between the Council and the State about who should control
projects such as Ashmore. As a result of this disagreement, residents have been
forced to respond to proposals that have yet to be accepted and confirmed.
Community
members present at the meeting unanimously passed a set of seven resolutions.
These include a call for an alternative urban design study for the area, as
well as for traffic, social economic and environmental impact studies to be
undertaken before any changes are made to the 2006 Development Control Plans.
Residents
are also requesting that a working group consisting of representatives
from the City of Sydney, the state government and the local community be
established to take an advisory role in the development of Ashmore Estate and,
importantly, in any changes made to the 2006 DCP.
Details of
the redevelopment are available
at: www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Development/UrbanRenewalProjects/Ashmore.asp
. More information on FOE and the
community response to the redevelopment can be found at
www.erskinevillevillage.org
Source: South Sydney Herald March 2012 – www.southsydneyherald.com.au