To: Jim
Betts, Secretary, Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
Marcus
Ray, Deputy Secretary, Planning and Assessment
Brett
Whitworth, Deputy Secretary Greater Sydney, Place and Infrastructure
Susan
Holliday, Member Independent Advisory Group
James
Cain, Member Independent Advisory Group
Geoffrey
London, Member Independent Advisory Group
CC: The
Hon. Rob Stokes MP, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces
The
Hon. Melinda Pavey MP, Minister for Water, Property and Housing
Councillor
Clover Moore, Lord Mayor, City of Sydney
Dear Mr Betts and those addressed,
Re
Waterloo South Planning Proposal Assessment and Consultation
REDWatch writes to raise concerns about the
Waterloo South assessment process put in place by Minister Stokes and the
subsequent exhibition of the planning proposal.
Planning
Proposal Concerns
REDWatch is concerned at the lack of public
housing expertise in the expert panel for what is primarily a public housing
redevelopment. We request the panel and the assessment section of DPIE seek
expert advice regarding the suitability of the planning proposals for the
expected public housing makeup.
DPIE and the advisory panel need to assess, not
only the financial viability of the project, but also assess if the density
proposed is suitable for the 30% social housing cohort who will live in what is
currently proposed as the densest part of the City of Sydney. To replace the
existing social housing on an already dense estate under the Communities Plus
30:70 formula the density has to be pushed high to achieve replacement social
housing levels. The question not asked is if the resulting density is too high
for the community mix proposed.
LAHC’s own documents do not adequately disclose
the changing mix of public housing nor do they detail the likely issues that
those administering the social housing post development will need to work with
given current allocation priorities and shorter-term leases.
The makeup of future public / social housing
will be very different from the current make up. As the older public housing
tenants die off, they are being replaced by people with often high and complex
needs. Almost all allocations into Waterloo are priority allocations, meaning these
tenants often have the greatest and often most complex needs. If not properly
supported some of these can be disruptive to those around them and affect
others right to quite enjoyment of their homes.
If this development is to succeed as a social housing
development for priority tenants on the social housing waiting list the human
service supports for people with complex needs must improve significantly. The current
human services system does not adequately support these tenants and with much
higher densities, there is concern that the situation will be even more
problematic. REDWatch’s position is that we cannot support the planning
proposal unless there is a human service plan that sits alongside it to address
the people issues.
LAHC has funded DCJ to undertake a “Waterloo
Human Services Collaborative” to explore how supports can be improved and
better integrated to support people moving into public housing, coming from
prison, homelessness and violent circumstances, alongside people with mental
health, cognitive impairment and other issues. Previous attempts in
Redfern-Waterloo to provide an integrated support system for tenants with
complex needs have not been successful.
Success for social housing will also depend on
LAHC delivering on the Elton Consulting essential recommendations in the Social
Sustainability Report. This includes adequate community facilities both for the
private community, but also for servicing the specific needs of public / social
tenants, as well as ongoing funding for the delivery of community development
and placemaking activities.
All these elements have to work seamlessly for
a high-density social housing to work for the future make up of public / social
housing. We have doubts this will happen and hence REDWatch thinks there is a
high risk of future problems if social housing is in the highest density precinct
in the City of Sydney.
Even though Council and LAHC have agreed on
density, REDWatch requests that, DPIE assess the density proposed with a view
to whether this density is suitable for the proposed 30% make up of public /
social housing. We note the NSW Government Architect has raised some concerns
about the proposed density at the CSPC meeting and that Council initially
proposed a lower density before it felt it needed to match the yield proposed
by LAHC.
We encourage the independent advisors and DPIE
to seek expert advice on the provision of public housing including the current
operation and trends in public housing. We also ask that DPIE and the
independent advisors familiarise themselves with the Waterloo public housing
estate and experience and aspirations of its tenants. One way this could happen
is for the panel should meet with the Waterloo Redevelopment Group, which
includes Waterloo estate public housing elected representatives.
Tenants noted that while this planning proposal
is for the redevelopment of a public housing estate to deliver renewed public
housing, that public / social housing was not mentioned in the DPIE
announcement, nor was expertise in this field reflected in the expertise appointed
to the committee.
We note that Sue Holliday has experience on a
CHP board that administers some social housing. We note also that inner city
estates are different from many of the public housing properties recently transferred
to CHPs. Further, as previously stated, in Waterloo priority allocations are
the norm changing the existing tenant makeup.
Aboriginal
Affordable Housing
REDWatch supports the provision of more affordable
housing as part of the Waterloo South planning proposal. In particular and
would like to see the NSW government invest in social and affordable housing as
infrastructure rather than requiring the sale of public housing land to renew
stock.
REDWatch supports the Redfern Waterloo
Aboriginal Affordable Housing Campaign’s call for 10% Aboriginal Affordable
Housing on the redevelopment of all government-controlled lands in Redfern and
Waterloo. REDWatch is of the view that the provision of Aboriginal affordable
housing on LAHC sites should be funded more broadly by the NSW Government and
not just self-funded by LAHC.
Public
Housing Consultation
Community organisations and tenant
representatives have spent much time with both LAHC and more recently with
Council discussing how best to consult about the planning proposal on NSW’s
largest public housing estate.
With a part of DPIE taking over the role of
Council during the planning proposal exhibition, it is imperative that those
responsible for the exhibition with DPIE sit down with local organisations and
the tenants on the Waterloo Redevelopment Group and explore what is required to
give tenants a genuine opportunity to comment on the Waterloo South planning
proposal.
This is a planning proposal for this estate
redevelopment has a large existing residential population and is thus different
to most planning proposals. The usual public online exhibition, as seen
recently for Waterloo Metro, is not appropriate for a community with low
internet take up, low literacy and many speaking languages other than English.
These people will be directly impacted by the outcome.
We urge DPIE and the expert panel to consider
these matters during the assessment and in deciding the subsequent consultation
on the Waterloo South planning proposal.
Yours
sincerely,
Geoffrey
Turnbull
REDWatch
Co-Spokesperson
On behalf of REDWatch
Inc
c/-
PO Box 1567
Strawberry
Hills NSW 2012
Ph (02) 8004 1490 or 0418 457 392
email:
mail@redwatch.org.au
web: www.redwatch.org.au
REDWatch
is a residents and friends group covering Redfern Eveleigh Darlington and
Waterloo (the same area originally covered by the Redfern Waterloo Authority).
REDWatch monitors government activities in the area and seeks to ensure
community involvement in all decisions made about the area. More details can be
found at www.redwatch.org.au.REDWatch is a members of the Redfern
Waterloo Groundswell Coalition and attends meeting of the tenants Waterloo
Redevelopment Group.