The
report–being compiled by former Sydney lord mayor Lucy Turnbull, Chris Johnson
from the Department of Planning, Landcom deputy chairman Neil Bird and Heritage
Council of NSW chair Michael Collins –had caused some confusion, with residents
unsure if they would get a chance to see the final product.
However, a spokeswoman
for Mr Sartor said the minister had always intended to make the report public.
The
much-anticipated document is due to be presented to Mr Sartor by September and
is expected to advise on away forward for the $800-million project.
The State
Government “called in” the development earlier this year after Mr Sartor
claimed it had been “tangled up in red tape at Town Hall for three years.”
A spokesman
for the Department of Planning said they held a meeting last week to get community
feedback on key issues affecting the project including the location of a proposed
onsite park, heritage, street lay-out and building heights.
No endorsed
draft plan was put forward at the meeting, the spokesman said.
Lindsay Charles
from the community group Friends of Carlton United Site (FoCUS) attended the
community consultation evening, which she described as “pretty grim”.
She said
she wanted the department to hold a second consultation meeting and further discuss
building heights and density.
Michael
Irving from the Chippendale Residents Interest Group said last Tuesday’s meeting
was “fairly heated”.
“We weren’t
overly happy with the council process,” he said.
“But at
least that was a little more transparent.”
Mr Irving
said his major concerns were about overdevelopment, the size of buildings on
the site and parking.
“People couldn’t
get to the meeting because of traffic jams around UTS, right across the road from
the site,” he said.
City of Sydney Greens’ councillor
Chris Harris called for full details of discussions between the site’s owner, Foster’s,
and Mr Sartor to be made public.
“It should
be noted that Mr Johnson took this request on notice at the meeting,” he said.
Photo: Greens
councillor Chris Harris at the CUB site in Chippendale and, inset, Planning
Minister Frank Sartor.