SOCIAL IMPACT SCOPING AND ASSESSMENT

Brief

1      Objectives

• a) To provide a scoping and assessment of key social impacts to professional standards[1]
• b) Produce a document which provides clarity to the public about the key social impacts associated with the proposal, possible ways they may be addressed, and the scope of future assessment.
• c) To ensure the creation of a cohesive, connected, caring, safe and equitable community in the development of the Redfern and Waterloo and South Eveleigh public housing areas.
• d) To ensure the social impacts associated with future social housing tenants and private housing occupation in Draft BEP 2 is assessed.
• e) To make recommendations to achieve the above which are: i) tangible and deliverable, ii) effective, iii) within the ability of the proponent to deliver, iv) timely and durable, v) assessed for their own impacts.

2      Purpose

The purpose of this Request for Quotation (RFQ) is to seek proposals from suitably qualified organisations to prepare a report which provides a Social Impact Assessment and Social Impact Statement for the development of BEP 2. The report is to be undertaken in three stages:

• Stage 1: Provide a Social Impact Assessment and Statement of the BEP 2 based on preliminary dwelling forecasts as anticipated by Draft BEP 2 ; and
• Stage 2: Refine the Social Impact Assessment and Statement based on any revision to dwelling forecasts based on any revision to built form, and/or release of 2011 census information;
• Stage 3: To set out the scope for undertaking a Social Impact Assessment for the wider Redfern Waterloo precinct renewal.

3      Study Area

The Study Area is generally the Housing NSW Redfern and Waterloo concentrated sites and South Eveleigh, as shown in Attachment A and marked Draft BEP 2 sites and Housing NSW’s Preliminary Master Plan. However the consultant will also be required to consider and provide advice on the Redfern-Waterloo potential precinct based on broad dwelling and job forecasts.

4      Key Study Tasks/Methodology

The key study tasks include:

Step 1: SCOPING

Potential social impacts should be identified, discussed and a process commenced to address them. There are a number of different social impacts that may occur as a result of a development and these should be considered in your SIA.  This should include consideration of the policy documents identified in Part 7 of this Brief (where relevant).   It is anticipated that this section will include an analysis and key implications for the SIA of the social issues raised in the consultation already undertaken for the project by HNSW and the RWA/SMDA.

These include:

• Access and mobility
• Accommodation, housing and affordability
• Community services and facilities
• Community structure (severance, cohesion, and identity)
• Crime, public safety and anti-social behaviour
• Cultural and community values
• Employment
• Health, including dementia
• Interaction between new development and the existing community
• Local economic effects
• Needs of target social groups (children and families, older people, young people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, culturally and linguistically diverse, people with a disability, women)
• Population change (size and characteristics)
• Recreation facilities
• Residential amenity and quality of life
• Safety and risk perception in the community
• Social mix and its rationale
• Social equity (displacement, needs of disadvantaged groups).

Many social impacts will be not be able to be meaningfully assessed at the BEP2 phase and will be required to be assessed at the masterplan or at an individual development application stage. As such the consultant should identify:

• impacts to be assessed at the Preliminary SIA stage
• impacts to be assessed at later stages, and
• scope of the assessment to occur at the later stages, e.g. CPTED requirements for individual development assessments.

Community involvement at the scoping phase

Affected communities must be consulted early in the project.

Affected communities include:

• Social housing residents who live in, or near, the development sites;
• Private residents who live nearby;
• Those who work nearby;
• Community groups who work in the area, or work with existing social housing residents;
• The affordable housing sector which operates in the area;
• Those who have an interest in the proposal but may not live in close proximity, for example, precinct committee, neighbourhood centres, Chamber of Commerce.

Additionally Housing NSW and the City of Sydney Council must be consulted.

Feedback provided through the exhibition of draft BEP 2 and through Housing NSW’s capacity building activities must also be reviewed.

It may be necessary to translate information into community languages or include translators in any information gathering process.

Step 2: COMMUNITY PROFILING

The SIA must provide a detailed community social profile of the affected area covering both the current and forecast community profile.

The size of the local community, particularly those living within the sites, and details of that community are essential. The social profile should include:

• Demographic data which should correspond as closely as possible to the defined community including current and projected population data and target group data (number of young people, older people, children, people with a disability, socio-economic profile, CALD community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community). This may require a description at Census Collector District level. This should consider the population in 2012 and be undertaken for both:

• the affected public housing community; and
• the broader Redfern Waterloo potential precinct (operational) area.

• Analysis of the demographic profile of the affected area and how they will be affected by the proposal. An analysis of social trends and forecast of the future populations, demographic profile and needs of different groups, particularly considering different needs and impacts of the future social, affordable and private housing residents. This should also be undertaken for both the affected public housing community and the broader Redfern Waterloo potential precinct (operational) area.
• Analysis of affordable housing needs for the Redfern Waterloo area.
• Summary of neighbouring community services and facilities and any major institutions located in the area.
• Summary of open space in the area.
• Significant social or cultural issues relevant to the affected area.

This must include consultation with the City of Sydney Social Planning Coordinator.

Step 3: PREPARE a Preliminary Social Impact Statement

The Preliminary SIS must provide an assessment and scoping of the social impacts associated with the proposal based on the research, consultation, and analysis undertaken and should cover:

• All social impacts, both positive and negative, direct and indirect, long term and short term, passing and accumulating impacts. This should include proposed open space and community facilities, including on-going maintenance strategies and other public benefits from renewal.
• How the key matters identified in consultation with the community, City of Sydney, SMDA and Housing NSW staff have been addressed.
• Strategies and measures to mitigate, manage and monitor positive and negative impacts to achieve improved social outcomes for the renewal.
• Mitigation measures to reduce negative impacts and enhance positive impacts.

Step 4: PREPARE a brief for a Comprehensive Social Impact Statement

The brief should be accompanied by a process for staging the provision of any future SIS.

Outputs:

Social Impact Assessment /Social Impact Study

Key outputs required in your Report are:

1. DESCRIPTION (including maps and drawings where relevant) of the proposal including the proposed social, affordable and private resident and/or worker profile.

1. The likely PROFILE of residents and workers affected by the proposal.
2. Identification of the types of SOCIAL CHANGES that may occur as a result of the proposal, especially noting social mix and the relocation of some social housing to other locations within the City of Sydney LGA, including positive and negative, long term and short term, passing, and accumulating changes.
3. The PROBABLE IMPACT of the change, including impacts likely to affect minority groups, marginalised groups, different age, income and cultural groups and future generations.
4. Identification of the RELATIVE EQUITY of the impacts, and how benefits and losses will be distributed to different community sectors, particularly considering the social, affordable and private housing residents.
5. Feedback from stakeholders and residents gathered through CONSULTATION.
6. Assess potential demand for COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES from the expected new community and how this will impact on access by the existing community, and demand for OPEN SPACE.
7. A Preliminary ANALYSIS of negative and positive impacts, direct and indirect impacts likely to affect minority groups, marginalised groups, different age, income and cultural groups, and future generations.
8. A Preliminary SOCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT summarising the research and consultation outcomes, including ways to maximise positive and minimise negative impacts. This should identify the scope of assessment for all impacts not assessed as part of the preliminary social impact assessment including:

-      identification of impacts to be assessed,

-      the stage in the development process when they would be best assessed

-      possible assessment methodologies,

-      key stakeholders who may be involved at these later stages of assessment.

9. Preliminary PLANS and strategies for MONITORING AND MITIGATING the impacts of the proposed development if it proceeds, recognising that the development is to be staged over a 25 year period.
10. DEFINE how the recommendations from the SIS should integrate with other aspects of the planning and development process.
11. A BRIEF for a Comprehensive Social Impact Statement

Source: Brief supplied by SMDA 21 Feb 2012