“Thought Bubble Dressed Up As Housing Policy”: Opposition’s Promise To Flip Long Bay Prison Scolded

The Minns Labor Government has lambasted Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane’s election promise to flip Long Bay Prison into affordable housing, calling it a “thought bubble dressed up as housing policy”.

While Sloan is promising to close the complex within 100 days to make way for 12,000 new homes if elected in March, the current administration says its  “a multi-billion-dollar bill to the taxpayer masquerading as a housing plan”.

Sloan’s Plan “Fails On The Most Basic Test Of Logic”

“The Liberals’ plans for Long Bay fails on the most basic tests of planning logic – a housing proposal without transport, without social infrastructure and without jobs,” said Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully.

“Homes, jobs and transport infrastructure need to be connected and delivered together like the Minns Government is pursuing around Metro, heavy rail and light rail stations and in new suburbs like Bays West.”

While Sloan’s plan would task a Long Bay Delivery Authority with investigating new transport and infrastructure possibilities for the site, alongside transferring approximately 1200 inmates from the prison, Scully says even those stars aligning would fail to make the plan tenable.

“Even if you put aside the lack of infrastructure planning and investment, displacement of crucial services, jobs and inmates this proposal doesn’t stack up, because it would at a minimum make Long Bay around three times as densely populated as Green Square, without the transport infrastructure to match. 

“With public exhibition of the Edgecliff and Woollahra rezoning proposal closing on Friday, the Liberal Leader should be upfront about her position on that proposal where there is transport capacity and a new station being built rather than trying to distract people with a proposal that is nothing more than an attempt to hide to the Liberal Party’s crab walking away from genuine housing plans.”

Is The Woollahra and Edgecliff Rezoning The Superior Housing Solution?

The Minns Labor Government’s rezoning proposal for Woollahra and Edgecliff is set to deliver up to 9,400 homes and Sydney’s first new heavy rail station in more than a decade. 

While the proposal has been met with much controversy, including the opposition leader dubbing it a “fantasy”, it is unclear how Sloan’s plan for even more homes in an area one third of the size with no plan for public transport could fare any better.

“I am staunchly pro-housing,” said Minister for Housing Rose Jackson, “so if there were billions of dollars sitting around to relocate this large, operational jail and build a heavy rail connection, then I might be able to get behind this plan – but I’m a realist and we need to be pragmatic in the current economic environment. 

“Our government is going to keep doing what we’ve been doing for the past three and a half years – planning new homes in well-located areas near transport and services and using our $6.6 billion investment to build new homes.”