The
exhibition period for the proposed Concept Plan has now finished. The proponent Fosters is now reviewing the
submissions, with the Minister, Frank Sartor having the final say whether to
amend, refuse or approve the Fosters plans. We have made some last minute
representations through the local labour candidate for the March 2007 state
elections, Linda Stott, requesting urgent representations to the Minister.
The
Concept Plan in its draft form raised grave concerns about the bulk and scale
of what’s proposed. The Plan effectively
allows up to 10 high rise towers up to 40 storeys high crammed onto the site,
and triples the local residential/working population. The Plans also have a major implication for
liveability standards across NSW. If
approved, developers will get the green light to reduce sunlight standards
across the State – this has major implications in terms of the State’s future
environmental and sustainable planning.
In
the interim, Council as the owner of various parcels of land on the site and
some key parcels off site was asked to give their Consent Approval. This included the land long promised by
Council as a tiny pocket park offsite, on Balfour Street from O’Connor to Wellington Street .
In
the Concept Plan, documents show this land forms part of the redevelopment,
with the park as part of Fosters Concept Plans.
Disturbingly, the tiny pocket park is now scheduled to be built after
50,000 sqm of the site has been built and occupied. The timing and the fact the
park is part of the planned works for the site is outrageous because it
effectively puts the park into the developers’ hands and we believe outside
Council’s Control.
Locals
will recall this is the tiny pocket park that was planned by South Sydney City
Council in consultation with the local community more than six years ago; then
approved and funded for inclusion in Councils works in 2001. The last minute intervention by the then Lord
Mayor of the City of Sydney
, Frank Sartor stopped it from being built.
Now 6 years later and despite a public commitment to fast-track the
park, made by Clover Moore and Monica Barone, Council’s new CEO in June this
year, we believe the park’s implementation is again being hindered.
We
are gravely concerned about this as well as Council’s recent decision to give
Council’s CEO the power to grant Consent Approval to the site’s Owner Fosters,
when the Consent Plans are still in draft form and so highly
controversial. This begs the question,
what is Council doing?
We
were also disturbed to find out, that despite the public commitment from the
Lord Mayor to fast-track the works, Council’s in its submission to the
Department of Planning about the Concept Plan, did not reject the timeline for
the park’s implementation.
Further
concerns were also held after we sighted that the proposed State Planning
Controls changes, do not lock in open space for this tiny pocket park – whether
this is an oversight or not is not known, however if the park is not
implemented, Balfour Street will be become one of the main access and egress
points for traffic onto the site. This
will have large scale implications for residents and businesses to the south of
the site.
It
is beyond reason that the local community is waiting for this tiny bit of green
space to be built nearly 7 years after it was approved and the community may
now need to wait for a few more years.
In
the new year we will be seeking an
urgent meeting with the Lord Mayor to find out what is going on and why
similarly a request for the extension of Peace Park was deemed too expensive by
Council, when tens of millions of dollars have been earmarked for Redfern,
Glebe, Ultimo/Pyrmont and Surry Hills.
In
short, Chippendale has long been the “forgotten suburb” – it has the lowest
open space in greater Sydney and now faces the impact from urbanisation on a
scale not seen in any other suburb in Sydney.
Plans
for Chippendale should not be reliant on the brewery site to put in place local
improvement works – rather open space on the brewery site should complement a
separate program of much needed works for Chippendale.
To
do this, Council must fast- track the acquisition of viable green space locally
– not ask locals to be reliant on access to regional parks – access to regional
parks should be forthcoming through funding on the brewery site, however the
acquisition of lands for some decent local green space outside the site, should
also be fast-tracked now.
It’s
also worth noting documents in relation to the Brewery site, have been
released, after a call by the Greens supported by the Libs. Unfortunately one box is marked
“confidential” and cannot be sighted by anyone other than the Greens MLC Sylvia
Hale. Two other boxes can be sighted by
anyone who requests to do so – this can be done by going into Parliament during
business hours. We are in the process of
organising a visit, however if you are able to help with some time to look at these
documents please let us know.
Chippendale
Improvement Plan – Update – Council Workshop
This
Plan was expected to be ready for exhibition by the end of the year. The absence of any recent news about it
raises concerns whether the plans for the redevelopment of the brewery site is
impeding its progress.
This
Plan follows a Workshop organised in September, and our long standing
representations asking Council to fast-track a local Improvement Plan. Given that local improvement plans in other
suburbs are moving ahead, we will be calling on the Lord Mayor to expedite
this.
FYI,
this Plan will detail and priorities local improvements such as traffic, public
domain and open space opportunities, street lighting, pedestrian and cycling
routes – for the short – medium – long term.
We
are particularly concerned that the delay will impact traffic improvements for
the east precinct – promised previously by the Lord Mayor, Monica Barone,
Council’s CEO. This includes long
promised traffic improvements for Meagher
Street to stem the rat running as well as some
other initiatives. We were previously
assured the traffic plan would not be dictated or hindered by the redevelopment
of the brewery site, rather fast-tracked.
Extracted
from email news distributed by the Coalition Chippendale Community Groups,
incorporatiing Chippendale Residents Interest Group and East Chippendale
Community Group. For more information email communityworkingparty@yahoo.com.au
.