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UrbanGrowth, SMDA & RWA Plans & Activities

UrbanGrowth NSW absorbed the Sydney Metropolitan Development Authority (SMDA) into UrbanGrowth NSW Development Corporation on 1 January 2013. The SMDA had itself absorbed the Redfern Waterloo Authority (RWA) during 2011. This section has information about the Redfern Waterloo Authority (RWA) which was the NSW Government Authority responsible for the Urban Renewal of the Built Environment, Human Services and Employment and Enterprise in Redfern Waterloo between 2005 - 2011. It also includes information about the SMDA's activities in Redfern-Waterloo from 2011 and UrbanGrowth's activities from 2013. Here you will find information about the UGDC, SMDA & RWA, their statements, plans and community responses to those plans. Many development planning roles simply passed from one authority to the next hence they are together here. You can also find up to date information about what has happened and is planned for the various parts of Redfern Waterloo that the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure has had planning control over since 2005. There is also some information on associated developments, such as the CUB site, in which the RWA has an interest as CUB's affordable housing levy was taken by legislation for the RWA and funds affordable housing at North Eveleigh.
Redfern Waterloo Maps
A selection of maps showing different aspects of the Redfern Waterloo area from a variety of sources including the RWA and SMDA. You can also use Google Maps zoom in on parts of the Redfern Waterloo area for satellite and street level views.
Government, UG, SMDA & RWA Statements
This is a collection of media statements, newsletters, letters to residents, publications and statements produced by Government, the SMDA or RWA about Redfern Waterloo or Government initiative or responsibilities. This may not be a complete collection of media statements as for the first few years Minister Sartor was unwilling to supply media statements to those like REDWatch who they did not class as media. As some Government statements such as draft plans are covered elsewhere on the site we have not repeated this material here.
Built Environment Plan Phase 1 - The State Significant Sites
Some sites within Redfern-Waterloo were declared areas of State Significant Development in 2005. In February 2006 the RWA released their draft Redfern Waterloo Built Environment Plan (BEP) in conjunction with NSW Planning Department's release of the State Environment Planning Policy (SEPP) necessary to implement the RWA Built Environment Plan. After a period for comment the BEP was finalised and released with the accompanying SEPP on 28 August 2006. We have listed below all the areas designated State Significant by the SEPP and we have provided details of what is known about the proposals for each of the sites. The overview sections include material which is common to all State Significant Areas.
Built Environment Plan Phase 2 - Public Housing Estates
On 27 January the RWA released the Draft of Phase 2 of their Built Environment Plan (BEP2). Below you will find details of the plan which was only on exhibition until 28 February 2011. REDWatch has collected a range of background materials about the issues associated with the redevelopment of public housing - these can be found via the Public Housing tab at the top of the page or by the link at the foot of this page. The RWA Draft BEP2 is being finalised by the Sydney Metropolitan Development Authority as aprt of a wider precinct study.
Human Services Plans
With the RWA taking over the role of the Premiers Department Redfern Waterloo Partnership Project (RWPP) the RWA became also responsible for the reform of Human Services within Redfern Waterloo which had been recommended by the Morgan Disney Report. The RWA produced two Human Services Plans and an initial evaluation of HSP1. The SMDA have taken over some responsibility for the Human Services Plans but it is unclear as to how this area of the RWA's responsibility will be progressed. Improved Human Service delivery was one of the aims of the NSW Government intervention which was not achieved by the RWA.
Employment & Enterprise Plan
One of the main areas of RWA activity was to be the creation of employment opportunities for those that live within the RWA boundaries. While increasing the number of people who work within the RWA area is a prime objective special action needed to be undertaken to ensure that those who live within the RWA area also benefit from these opportunities. The RWA produced a Redfern-Waterloo Employment and Enterprise Plan in 2006. RWA Employment activity concentrated primarily on Aboriginal employment. With the absorption of the RWA the Aboriginal Employment and Enterprise Activities were transferred to the Australian Technology Park. Information from 2011 about these programmes can be found on the ATP website. Employment programmes aimed at the broader public housing community never eventuated within the RWA.
Eveleigh Rail Heritage
The former Eveleigh Railyards are one of the most important industrial and heritage sites in Sydney - they also have International significance. For many years Government did not see value in this heritage and years of neglect saw many important artifices loss due to neglect. In September 2008 the RWA recognised the importance of heritage on the former Eveleigh rail yards by granting a lease to the ATP Blacksmith which recognised the role of active heritage operations, conservation and community education in the establishment of the Technology Park. In the same month the RWA produced a two page Heritage Interpretation Strategy for their Preferred Project Report for North Eveleigh which foreshadowed rail heritage tourism possibilities across the former railway site. The heritage potential of the area has been further strengthened by the decision of RailCorp to hold onto the Large Erecting Shop for heritage rail purposes for immediate future. A meeting of heritage organisations, practitioners and residents in October 2008 called on the Minister for Redfern Waterloo to set up round table of government and heritage groups to develop a comprehensive Eveleigh Rail Heritage and Tourism Strategy with heritage players for the site. A Redfern Waterloo Heritage Taskforce was finally established and met until early 2011. Its main outcome was a Eveleigh Heritage Interpretation Strategy and the recognition of the importance of the areas heritage. Here as part of the campaign to save the heritage we collected information relating to the former Eveleigh rail yards and subsequently the Taskforce and other initiatives.
RWA Operational Archive
This section of the site contains historical information about the operations of the RWA. Areas which transferred from the RWA to the SMDA and for which the SMDA have some initial ongoing involvement are not in this section. Historical statements by the RWA remain in the "Government SMDA & RWA Statements". Historical material about areas for which the RWA had planning responsibility have again not been moved as those historical plans are integral to understanding new developments. The absorption of the RWA by the SMDA makes it difficult to draw clear lines of demarcation between material of historical interest and current relevance.
DoP Major Projects
This is the link to the Department of Planning Major Project Register for City of Sydney area - any proposals currently On Exhibition will be coloured Green and be marked "On Exhibition". This site lists all proposals made to the Department of Planning and allows you to access planning approvals and exhibited documents.
SMDA BEP2 & Urban Renewal Studies
The SMDA is undertaking a range of studies and analysis to support the appropriate future controls for the draft BEP 2 sites. This forms part of an urban renewal study for the Redfern-Waterloo Precinct with priority for the draft BEP 2 sites. When complete, these studies and draft planning controls will be exhibited. Here you will find information about the SMDA Studies as suitable material becomes available.
Rail Corridor Expansion
On 12 July 2013 the NSW Government called for expressions of interest for the renewal of the railway line corridor between Central Station and Eveleigh. The future of the North Eveleigh Concept Plan and the RWA's Built Environment Plan Controls will be reassessed as part of the process. Here we have gathered information about the initial proposal and will add information on subsequent developments.
Waterloo Public Housing & Metro Station Redevelopment
On 15 December 2015 the NSW Government anounced that a station on its proposed Metro railway line would be built at Waterloo. The Metro anouncement was accompanied by the anouncement that the Waterloo public housing estate would be redeveloped over the next 15-20years with community engagement starting in 2016. In this section of the website you will find details of these projects as they unfold.
Elizabeith Street SSDA
Elizabeth Street Redfern was declared a State Significant Precinct on Sept 9 2017. The area declared is the vacant block next to the PCYC and the PCYC itself. Here you can finds oout about this development as it unfolds.
Central-Eveleigh Sydney Inovation and Technology Precinct
On Tuesday 26 February the Premier announced the Sydney Innovation and Technology Precinct to be located at Central-Eveleigh. Here you will find some information about the precinct.
Explorer Street Eveleigh Renewal
On 11 November 2020 the NSW Land and Housing Corporation anounced the renewal of the 46 public housing properties in Explorer Street Eveleigh. This was also considered for renewal in the Redfern Waterloo Authorities BEP2 in 2011. Since 2011 52 dwellings in Rowley Street have had their management transferred to Bridge Housing and are not part of the 2020 proposed redevelopment.