4.4 Eveleigh Street
The Eveleigh
Street site is bounded by Cleveland Street to the north, Lawson Street to
the south, the railway corridor to the east, and Abercrombie and Eveleigh
Streets to the west.
Existing
characteristics
The site has a diverse mix of residential and older
industrial buildings, reflecting the multiple land ownership and its proximity
to Cleveland Street.
The total area of the site is approximately 3 hectares.
The site accommodates the Block, the area defined by
Eveleigh, Caroline, Vine and Louis Streets. The Block is owned by the
Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC) and is an important and symbolic place for
Aboriginal people. The Block reinforces the wider significance of Redfern as
meeting place – “it provides an opportunity to reunite with family and friends
from their hometowns or to simply be with their mob” (AHC, 2001).
The Block was a centre for Aboriginal activism, which led to
the establishment of a number of Aboriginal controlled services, including the
first medical and legal services. It is also significant as the first urban
land rights claim in Australia,
when in 1973 the Commonwealth government provided a grant to allow the AHC to
purchase and restore terrace houses on the Block. Since that time the majority
of the AHC terrace houses have been demolished, which has resulted in an
informal park area within the centre of the Block. The remaining 19 terrace
houses occupy the northern part of the Block and an apartment building fronts Caroline Street at
the southern end.
The housing on the residential streets surrounding the Block
is predominantly characterised by terrace houses. Residential flat buildings
have been developed along parts of Cleveland
Street.
Development between Cleveland and Vine Streets is
characterised by larger scale industrial buildings. These buildings are
occupied by various light industrial, warehousing and other non-residential
uses. There are a number of shops along Abercrombie Street.
A pocket park, Pemulwuy
Park and disused
community building are located on the eastern side of Eveleigh Street adjacent to the railway.
The Park has recently been upgraded by City of Sydney council. The community building was
formerly occupied by the Murawina Aboriginal Preschool, which relocated to the
former Redfern Public School site in 2003.
The site benefits from its proximity to Redfern Railway
Station, located directly to the south on Lawson Street.
Creating a vibrant, safe and sustainable community within
this site requires a mix of uses.
Existing land use
zone
The following zones apply to the Eveleigh Street site under the South
Sydney LEP:
- ‘Mixed
Use 10 Zone’, generally applies to the northern side of Vine Street and extends to Cleveland Street. - ‘Residential
2(b) Medium Density Zone’ generally applies between Lawson Street and the southern side
of Vine Street,
including the Block, with the exception of the property located on the
north western corner of Eveleigh and Lawson Streets which is zoned ‘Mixed
Use 10 Zone’. - ‘Special
Uses – Community Centre Preschool Zone’ applies to properties between the
eastern side of Eveleigh
Street and the railway corridor - ‘Open
Space Zone’ applies to properties between the eastern side of Eveleigh Street
and the railway corridor; and properties bound by Caroline Street, Eveleigh Street and Caroline Lane.
Proposed land use
concept
Encourage employment growth within the site. Create a
vibrant sustainable business and residential community, providing opportunities
for Aboriginal enterprise; housing, including culturally appropriate housing;
and community and cultural facilities.
Diagram 4.7 (pdf ~580kb) illustrates the proposed land use concept for
the site.
Proposed design
concept
Reinforce the significance of Redfern as a meeting place and
centre for Aboriginal activism by:
- ensuring
the establishment of a mix of community, cultural and recreation
facilities for Aboriginal residents and the wider community - allowing
for the establishment of Aboriginal enterprises, businesses and training
and support services on the Block.
Enhance employment uses and the mixed use character of the
site, given its proximity to Redfern Railway Station by:
- ensuring
appropriate business development opportunities are provided within the
site - encouraging
employment activity - providing
for residential development.
Facilitate the development of quality housing for existing
and new residents that:
- provides
a range of housing types that responds to the social mix of the area - provides
culturally appropriate and sustainable housing for Aboriginal residents - is
designed and located to respond to external factors, including the railway
corridor and Cleveland Street,
to maximise amenity.
Respect the existing residential and industrial character
and built form of the site and provide an appropriate interface to surrounding
development by:
- ensuring
development responds to the scale, form and design of surrounding
development - providing
a three storey height limit along Louis Street, Caroline Street, the western side of
Eveleigh Street
and northern and southern side of Vine Street in response to the scale
of the adjacent terrace houses.
Increased height and floor space ratio along the railway
corridor to provide a buffer to the lower scale development to the west.
Provide a safe, vibrant and cohesive community by:
- ensuring
active uses adjoin and overlook existing and new open space to provide
passive surveillance - encouraging
active non–residential uses at street level and along pedestrian paths to
improve pedestrian safety and amenity - ensuring
landscaping, tree planting, lighting and good design of civic spaces,
streets and pedestrian paths - ensuring
development fronts and overlooks public streets to facilitate passive
surveillance - maintaining
existing street linkages to neighbouring areas to ensure continuous paths
for walking, cycling and motorists to maximise activity and opportunities
for surveillance - limiting
blank facades and extensive car entry/parking and servicing areas along
public streets.
The provision and configuration of open space is to:
- be
in accordance with the Open Space and Public Domain Strategy in Section
3.3 - provide
a high level of residential amenity for new developments by providing
adequate private and communal open space within and around new development
parcels - be
located and designed to achieve a high level of privacy and separation
between dwellings - be
provided for all new dwellings - be
adjacent to active uses to enable surveillance and maximise the safety and
security of spaces - have
good solar access - be
appropriately designed and landscaped with planting, paving, lighting,
benches and furniture.
The proposed heights and floor space ratio for the site are
illustrated in Diagram 4.8 (pdf ~611kb).
Proposed land use
zone
- Business
Zone – Mixed Use