“On a hiding to nothing”: Minns’ development plans in Sydney’s housing crisis

by JOHN MOYLE

Premier Chris Minns is on a hiding to nothing with his proposals to turn railway stations in many suburbs across Sydney into hubs for housing development.

The proposed plans have come under strong opposition from local mayors, councils, residents and vested interests that has the potential to turn these proposals into election issues without finding a solution to Sydney’s chronic housing shortage.

One inner city precinct is facing the opposite where mid-century apartment blocks consisting of studio and one-bedroom spaces are being pulled down to make way for luxury spaces selling for millions and robbing the area of much needed rental and cheap housing stock.

At play here is the City of Sydney who have approved almost all of the development approvals in the Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay area in recent times.

These decisions come at a time when the housing shortage and homelessness is critical and their policy statement is “Housing for All”.

As a response to the perceived crisis a new community group, The Potts Point Preservation Group has been formed to bring the area’s plight to the attention of the City of Sydney and the New South Wales government.

“This decrease in affordable housing is forcing less affluent, long term residents out of the area and changing the broad demographic balance and diversity of the neighbourhood,” Dr Peter Sheridan, Chairman, Potts Point Preservation Group said.

Co-founder of then group and local historian Warren Fahey said that they had attracted a number of professionals onto the steering committee with Ros Kelly and Leo Schofield as patrons and architect Clive Lucas and Robin Grow, ex-president Art Deco Society among the advisory panel.

“Reverence for 19th century buildings and an almost lack of protection for 20th century structures is changing the face of Sydney and kicking our architectural heritage in the guts,” Warren Fahey, Steering Committee, Potts Point Preservation Group said.

“The 1km enclave of Kings Cross, Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay has the highest concentration of Art Deco and early 20th-century apartments in Australia and is under severe attack.”

The precinct contains 75 Art Deco apartments and 30 modernist buildings, including a number of early Harry Seidler apartment blocks.

Five current projects in the area will create a loss of 119 apartments and will not contain any studios or one bedders for rental or purchase.

One project at 11A and 13A Wylde Streets in Potts Point will see the original stock of 20 apartments developed as five apartments, representing a reduction of 75 per cent of stock.

Further along on Macleay Street is the 80 one bedrooms and studios of The Chimes building.

Built in the mid-sixties, this ten storey building is due for demolition as its new owners, Melbourne based property group Time and Place want to build a nine-storey tower with 31 luxury apartments.

Time and Place directors are Tim Price and former Crown Resorts executive Todd Nesbitt when it was run by James Packer, and it is believed that Packer holds a ten per cent stake in the project.

Gretel Packer owns two units in the building that Time and Place have either bought or have caveats over its units.

Recently revised plans were put on show until March 15 as part of a conciliation hearing in the Land and Environment court between the developer and the City of Sydney relating to the proposed building’s mass and setbacks, not the number or mix of units.

It has been a long and drawn out process for Time and Place to acquire the building under the 75 per cent Strata Rule in which if 75 per cent of owners in the scheme agree to sell forcing the other owners to sell.

The Potts Point Preservation Group has simply stated goals.

“The aim of the group is to promote a cohesive, balanced and effective voice for the residents of Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay, work with the City Council to create a new urban plan for heritage protection of the area and advocate heritage protection for apartments with affordable studio and one bedroom apartments,” Fahey said.

On Tuesday of this week another new action group Save Greater Sydney Coalition with the slogan “Minn’s wrecking ball is coming to you” staged their first rally in the Domain with speakers including the Leader of the Opposition, The Hon Mark Speakman, Judy Mundey, wife of Jack Mundey and Warren Fahey.

This is a crisis that is not going to go away and needs quick and bold decisions by all sectors of government, local planning authority and residents to make immediate, not long term changes.

A good place to start is to not approve development applications without a consideration of their socio and economic benefits.