BY LUCAS BAIRD
The Waterloo Community has created a stir surrounding the state government’s decision to develop the area around a new train station.
Transport for NSW intends to knock down two existing public housing towers in Waterloo to make way for new developments, which include 10,000 new dwellings.
State member for Newtown, Jenny Leong, said that these developments should be a cause for ‘serious concern.’
“Urban Growth’s track record in our area has seen some pretty devastating outcomes, including the sell-off of the Australian Technology Park site and the massive proposed over development at North Eveleigh.”
According to NSW Premier Mike Baird, a third of the proposed dwellings will be dedicated social and affordable housing.
Ms Leong welcomed the government’s commitment to public housing but said if it was serious about the issue it would reverse the proposed current ratio of private to public housing.
“Sydney has had a terrible record for including affordable and public housing developments,” she said.
“Affordable housing and public housing are both essential in our inner city community. Fully subsidised public housing is crucial to ensure everyone has the right to a safe and secure place to call home.”
Local advocacy group, REDWatch have complaints mirroring that of Ms Leong, and have labelled the effort to increase public and affordable housing as ‘token’.
A Spokesperson for REDWatch told City Hub “At the moment there are waiting lists up to about 10 years and even further [for public housing].”
“The demand is hugely outweighing the supply at the moment.”
“This current move of the State government is not supporting affordable and also public housing,” the spokesperson said.
REDWatch said this was not the only issue with the development plan, indicating that current infrastructure will not support such an influx of people.
“We are mostly concerned about the social infrastructure such as community facilities and also transport infrastructure not being able to support the current amount of the community,” a spokesperson told City Hub.
City of Sydney Councillor, Linda Scott, is all too aware of this.
“The City of Sydney’s own documents show that we will have childcare shortages of up to 5000 by 2030, we have 20 sporting field shortages,” she said.
“This announcement by the Baird-Liberal government needs to be accompanied by plans for infrastructure so the community know they have the infrastructure to live.”
Cr Scott said this issue was the root of the problem with the Waterloo Station announcement, and that it was ‘written by developers for developers.’
“There is no reason to link new public transport with new developments and it is clear that this plan for a new Waterloo station is development by itself,” she said.
Even Urban Taskforce Australia is concerned by the development, raising the particular issue of a $20,000 contribution tax.
Urban Taskforce Australia Chief Executive, Chris Johnson, said “The government’s got to be careful about assuming the development industry can just pay pay pay for new social housing and for contributing to the cost of the railway station
because any of that taxing for those purposes goes back on the housing itself.”
“Someone needs to sit down and carefully work all of that out,” he said.
But Mr Johnson said he was in favour in the project as a whole, as it would help drive urban renewal in the city.
“In one of my previous roles I spent quite a bit of time in the Waterloo and Redfern estates and had a pretty good look at the whole area,” he said.
“I think it can handle, if well designed, a fair bit of extra density and I think the numbers that are talked about are highly achievable.”
Mr Johnson’s view aligns with a small group of people who are positive about the new developments.
This includes the Mayor of the City of Sydney, Clover Moore, who said in a statement last week “It’s good to see the government investing in public transport for our inner-city communities.”
“Given the fast-growing local population and jobs at Australian Technology Park, the new metro station in Waterloo will be a welcome addition.”
“I’m concerned about the prospects for people who live in social housing, although I welcome the government’s stated commitment to maintaining current levels of social and affordable housing in the area,” she said.
Transport for NSW’s decision to develop the train station at Waterloo has crushed the hopes of Sydney University to have the station built on their campus.
A spokesperson for Transport for NSW told City Hub “Waterloo aligns with the government’s priorities, especially improving the quality of transport services by providing relief at Redfern and Green Square stations.”
Construction on the station is expected to start in early 2018.
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