TfNSW proposal to reverse Little Eveleigh Street - until Sept 10th 2023
REDWatch Waterloo Public Housing Update Meeting 7 Sept 2023 Poster
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Waterloo South to proceed with new targets - updated REDWatch response
Below is an updated REDWatch response to the announcement of new social and affordable housing targets for Waterloo South announced publicly on 21 August 2023. Some changes have been made to the initial response to reference additional material and responses as well as to cover comments made at today's media conference.
Little Eveleigh / Lawson / Ivy / Wilson Streets traffic & parking changes – feedback until Sunday 10 Sept
Transport for NSW has extended the consultation for the proposed redirection of Little Eveleigh Street after making available additional information. The proposed changes impact the above streets as well as requiring traffic from the west to use Shepherd Street and Vine Street to access Little Eveleigh Street. An onsite meeting has been organised with local MP Jenny Leong for Thursday 7 September at 4pm at the corner of Little Eveleigh and Lawson Streets.
Waterloo Public Housing Update – 6pm Thurs 7 September
The NSW Government has announced that the Waterloo South redevelopment will proceed with an increased quantity of social and affordable housing. At the same time work is underway to create a new Homes NSW agency and to overhaul a much criticised public housing maintenance system. The REDWatch meeting on Thursday 7th September at 6pm will provide an update on all these changes proposed by the new NSW Government.
REDWatch Waterloo Public Housing Update Meeting 7 Sept 2023 Poster
This is the poster for the September 2023 REDWatch meeting with updates on the Waterloo South redevelopment post the Goverenment's new targets for Social and Affordable Housing as well as updates on Homes NSW and the 2024 Public Housing maintenance contract.
Redfern Station and local traffic - Clover Moore letter to Jo Haylen
This letter of 28 August 2023 on behalf of Lawson Street and Little Eveleigh Street residents calls for Transport for NSW to call a meeting with residents to discuss a TfNSW changed traffic plan which changes the direction of traffic in Little Eveleigh Street in a way that would make it impossible to enter from the Newtown direction and it it was accessible potentially invite a rat run to avoid bank ups in Lawson Street. Unmentioned in the proposal is a plan residents claim to stop then from standing outside their houses to unload as TfNSW propose a no stopping zone in front of their houses. The consultation had short notice and did not contain all the information necessary to explain the proposals and their implication hence residents made representations to Council, with which TfNSW said they were working.
REDWatch calculations based on August 2023 increase in social and affordable housing
REDWatch has undertaken an analysis of the numbers for different tenure types in Waterloo South. The figures used are the minimum figures from the rezoning, and ministerial announcements on 4 November 2022 and 21 August 2023. While all care has been taken it is possible the spreadsheet contains errors so please check yourself and advise if any errors are found. At the media conference today the Housing Minister dismissed the suggestion that there would only be a 53 unit increase in social housing. These figures substantiate the basis for that calculation.
Waterloo South – good, but still time for a better deal for social housing and to raise the bar on what Government can deliver
This is the Shelter NSW media release on the announcement to increase the social and affordable housing on Waterloo South.
Counterpoint Community Services on Waterloo Increase
Below is how Counterpoint Community Services advised their newsletter readers about the Government announcement to increase the quantity of social and affordable housing in Waterloo South on 21 August 2023.
Waterloo South social and affordable housing boosted to 50% - Media Release
This is the media release from The Premier, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, Minister for Homelessness, Minister for Housing that was issued about the increased targets for the Waterloo South housing redevelopment.
Waterloo Redevelopment letter to tenants 19 Aug 2023
In this letter distributed to Waterloo Estate tenants on Saturday 19 August, Housing Minister Rose Jackson advised tenants that the Waterloo South LAHC redevelopment would now see 30% social and 20% affordable housing delivered. In addition a minimum of 15% of both kinds of housing would be dedicated to Aboriginal people. The relocations process has been delayed until mid-2024 with six months’ notice still being given for those initially required to move. The letter provided no details of how the government will fund the changes. REDWatch welcomes this letter being distributed to tenants before the media anouncement.
Action for Public Housing condemns Waterloo decision
Below is the text of the media release issued by Action for Public Housing, a grassroots collective of tenants and supporters who organise to defend and extend public housing, in response to the revised targets for the Waterloo South public housing redevelopment.
Homes NSW Consultation
On 20 July The Housing Minister held a consultation with invited organisations to get feedback on principles for the formation of Homes NSW. Further consultations are proposed. REDWatch is making available some of the details of the July consultation to encourage tenants, those on the waiting list and services to consider what they might want to say to the Minister about what should be stopped, what should be started and what should be continued. Below is what was supplied to participants at the 20 July Consultation.
Planning reforms to deliver social and affordable housing
The Minns Labor Government will use new NSW planning laws to focus state-owned housing corporations on tackling the state’s housing crisis, by building more social and affordable homes, faster according to this media statement on 19 June 2023 released by the Minister for Housing and the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces. The changes increase self-assessment powers for LAHC and AHO from 60 dwellings and 2 storeys to 75 dwellings and 3 storeys. Projects with more than 75 homes or more than $30 million capital investment will have an expanded State Significant Development pathway.
Explorer Street South Eveleigh Rezoning
At the 6 July REDWatch meeting the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) and the Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) will present an update on the rezoning process for the Explorer Street South Eveleigh public housing site. DPE is working to progress the rezoning of the Explorer Street and a concept masterplan with support from LAHC and the City of Sydney planners, who DPE have also invited to attend the REDWatch meeting.
Explorer Street South Eveleigh Rezoning Flyer for 6 July 2023
At the 6 July REDWatch meeting the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) and the Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) will present an update on the rezoning process for the Explorer Street South Eveleigh public housing site. DPE is working to progress the rezoning of the Explorer Street and a concept masterplan with support from LAHC and the City of Sydney planners, who DPE have also invited to attend the REDWatch meeting. The Thursday 6 July meeting will be held at 6pm at the Factory Community Centre, 67 Raglan Street, Waterloo. It will also be on Zoom via https://tinyurl.com/RedwatchZoomMeeting. This is a flyer to publicise this meeting.
Ron Hoenig letter about Waterloo to tenants 9 June 2023
This is a de-identified copy of a letter received by some tenants from the Member for Heffron, Mr Ron Hoenig MP. The letter makes reference to Mr Honig's speech in the Legislative Assembly on 25 May 2023 which can be seen at the following link - https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Hansard/Pages/HansardResult.aspx#/docid/HANSARD-1323879322-131169 . The letter reiterates the Housing Minister Rose Jackson's comments to REDWatch on 5 June that the Government expects to be in a position in about a month to better understand what they might be able to do to improve the Waterloo South proposal.
Comments by Housing Minister Rose Jackson relevant to Waterloo - 5 June 2023
At the 5 June 2023 REDWatch meeting, NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson, responded on the proposed Federal Government housing policy initiatives. She later provided an update on the NSW Governments approach to public housing redevelopments including Waterloo. In the transcript below the Minister says it will be another month or so before the process set by the previous government can be assessed under the principles the new government wishes to apply. Later in the meeting the Minister confirmed the government was implementing the 2022 Labor Conference motion and outlined that the current focus was on items they did not need to legislate.
Audio of REDWatch Federal Government’s Housing Policy Agenda Forum of 5 June 2023
At this REDWatch meeting on 5 June 2023, Tanya Plibersek, the Federal member for Sydney presents on the Federal Labor Government's housing policy. Responses and comments from both the NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson and the President of the Australian Local Government Association, Linda Scott follow. At the start of the Q&A session (25 minutes) Rose Jackson provides an update on the NSW government's approach to public housing redevelopment and Waterloo. The file is an audio m4a file that will need to be downloaded to play.
Waterloo FAQs – 19 May 2023 Murawin and Land and Housing Corporation
On 19 May 2023 Murawin and Land and Housing Corporation held a consultation with the Aboriginal community about the waterloo redevelopment. Below is the FAQ provided for that event. It contains some additional information no previously said by LAHC.
Tanya Plibersek Talk on The Federal Government's Housing Policy - 5 June 2023 6pm Alexandria Town Hall
Join REDWatch to hear from the Federal Member for Sydney and Minister for Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek to discuss the Federal Government's housing policy agenda. We will also be joined by City of Sydney Councillor and President of the Australian Local Government Association Linda Scott.
REDWatch Information Summary on 2023 NSW Election Outcome
This summary was prepared for a REDWatch Meeting on 4 May 2023 to look at the implications of the election outcome. The document provides a summary of the NSW Legislative Assembly (Lower House) and Legislative Council (Upper House) Results. It also includes the election results for the NSW Legislative Assembly seats of Newtown and Heffron which cover parts of the Redfern, Eveleigh, Darlington and Waterloo suburbs covered by REDWatch.
REDWatch Letter to Housing Minister Rose Jackson 21 April 2023
This is a copy of the letter sent by REDWatch regarding the Waterloo redevelopment following the appointment of Minister Rose Jackson. In the letter REDWatch has asked the Minister, to respect tenants and to deliver the news about Waterloo’s future to them before any media announcement. It also requests the Minister adopt the Compact proposed by Shelter NSW and the NSW Tenants Union to guide government interactions with public housing tenants around redevelopment of public housing.
Groundswell Letter to Housing Minister Rose Jackson 13 April 2023
This is a copy of the letter sent by Groundswell regarding the Waterloo redevelopment following the appointment of Minister Rose Jackson. In the letter Groundswell offers to provide the Minister a background briefing from the NGO and community perspective and to discuss the plans for the Waterloo South Public Housing Estate redevelopment.
Counterpoint Community Services Letter to Housing Minister Rose Jackson 13 April 2023
This is a copy of the letter sent by Counterpoint Community Services regarding the Waterloo redevelopment following the appointment of Minister Rose Jackson. In the letter Counterpoint deals with a number of issues they wish the Minister to consider about the redevelopment and put the view that "at this stage, we believe the Waterloo South plans should push forward under the current planning controls."
