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You are here: Home / UrbanGrowth, SMDA & RWA Plans & Activities / Government, UG, SMDA & RWA Statements / 2005 / Redfern-Waterloo UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2005

Redfern-Waterloo UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2005

This is a txt version of the September 2005 Redfern-Waterloo UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2005 issued by the Redfern-Waterloo Authority in October 2005. This issue deals with Built Environment Issues including a new Building and Master Plan for the ATP, Planning for future change in public housing and the RWA involvement in North Eveleigh including the construction of the Performing Arts Centre. The Update also announced that the New Website was up and running which was hoped to be the case as of the 7th October when the Update was to be distributed.

PUBLIC HOUSING • NEW ATP MASTER PLAN • ARTICLES INSIDE PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

 

Ministers Launch Construction of Research Building Redfern’s Renewal

600 jobs at new facility The RWA is borrowing $47.5 million from NSW Treasury to construct a new building at the ATP to house Commonwealth research agencies - National Information and Communications Technology Australia (NICTA) and the Defence, Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO).

The building was officially launched on 23 September by NSW Minister for Redfern-Waterloo and Minister for Planning, Frank Sartor MP, Federal Minister for Communications, IT and The Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, and Member for Heffron, Kristina Keneally MP.

Construction of the six storey building will commence in early 2006 and is expected to be completed by mid-2007, with NICTA to occupy the top three levels, and DSTO the three lower levels. Once completed, the building will house about 600 employees, which will be a considerable boost for the local economy.

“This initiative has been made possible by the Government's Redfern-Waterloo urban renewal strategy,” said Robert Domm, RWA Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the ATP.

“The RWA will be developing the first new building to be constructed at the ATP in five years, and with the new Master Plan, and approval pending for the new roads and landscaping, this building is another step towards the Park becoming a major innovation centre for Sydney.”

Photo: Member for Heffron, Kristina Keneally MP, NSW Minister for Redfern-Waterloo and Minister for Planning, Frank Sartor MP, and Federal Minister for Communications, IT and The Arts, Senator Helen Coonan.

Redfern’s Renewal

The Redfern-Waterloo Authority will commence construction of the first new building for five years at the Australian Technology Park in early 2006, signalling the start of a $52 million investment by the RWA in the Park's development – and kick-starting the broader urban renewal program for the area.

New ATP Building

The new NICTA/DSTO building is the first in this new development phase for the ATP. The ATP Master Plan includes provision for six new sites and up to 14 low-rise buildings (two to seven storeys) over the next decade.

Designed by Cox Richardson Architects, the NICTA/DSTO building will be located on the eastern edge of the ATP with frontages to Garden Street and Mitchell Way. It will occupy a site of around 3,000sqm and provide just over 11,000sqm of tenantable floor space with 66 secure parking spaces. The building will also have a 4.5 Star rating under the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating scheme (ABGR).

Construction will be in accordance with the RWA's Jobs Compact, employing local Indigenous people and new apprentices as a key element.

Photo: The RWA’s $47 million new building brings 600 jobs to Redfern.

Revitalising Public Housing in Redfern-Waterloo

Reforming and revitalising public housing in Redfern-Waterloo, without disadvantaging tenants, is considered a huge task and one that will require considerable research and community consultation. The RWA and the Department of Housing, which owns and administers the large housing estates, intend to work cooperatively and diligently on this project over coming years.

Given the complexities involved and the need to ensure that the interests of tenants and communities are safeguarded, reform of public housing is seen as a priority issue for the future Stage Two of the Redfern-Waterloo Plan. However, detailed research work and community consultation on these issues will be undertaken by the RWA during the Stage One period in order to develop future stages of the Plan [the draft Stage One of the Plan is expected to be released for community consultation later this year].

In order to reassure public housing tenants and in the context of some erroneous media reports at the time, the Minister for Redfern-Waterloo, Frank Sartor, made the following statement in the NSW Parliament on 9 December last year:

“There is zero intention that existing public tenants at Redfern and Waterloo will be moved out of the area. To the extent we may or may not improve the existing public housing...such a task would have to be the subject of extensive consultation.”

The Minister subsequently wrote to all public housing tenants reassuring them of the Government’s commitments, which he also reiterated at a public meeting in Redfern on 9 July 2005. These commitments are:

• There will be no cuts to the amount of public housing;

• Current residents will not be disadvantaged; and

• All public tenancies are secure.

Photo: The Government has guaranteed that public housing tenancies are secure.

Government Approves New ATP Master Plan

Master Plan Vision

“To establish an internationally recognised world class technology and business centre aimed at building global competitiveness in key growth sectors of the economy.”

The new ATP Master Plan includes provision for six new sites and up to 14 low-rise buildings (two to seven storeys) over the next decade.

It contains objectives and guidelines for the provision of development within the Park and was approved by the Government in June this year. It includes moving the position of the main access point to Henderson Road and providing for an increase in the area of public recreation space.

These revisions were the result of an extensive community consultation program undertaken by the ATP to test the vision for the ATP's future development.

“For the local community, ATP is special because of its historical significance, its provision of open, public space for recreation, and its potential to become a quality, well maintained development that generates employment and provides a sense of ownership and pride for the residents of Redfern,” said Richard Clark, the RWA’s Director for Urban Renewal.

The new Master Plan’s vision enables the continuing establishment of research and development activities on the site, but also recognises the value of the site and its operations to the local community.

$5 Million for ATP Infrastructure Works

Following development approval, the RWA's $5 million construction of new ATP infrastructure will commence early in 2006 and be completed within six months. The new main entrance, roads and landscaping will facilitate the construction of further new buildings at the Park.

Photo: The Government’s new $52 million investment in the ATP will facilitate the Master Plan vision being realised.

Contemporary Performing Arts Centre

Construction work is gearing up on the Government's $40 million refurbishment of the former Carriageworks building at the North Eveleigh Railyards. The project is being undertaken by the Ministry for the Arts, with the active assistance and support of the Redfern-Waterloo Authority. The RWA expects to assume ownership of the10.5 hectare North Eveleigh site from RailCorp later this year.

The RWA is taking over RailCorp's construction responsibilities for the Performing Arts Centre, as well as developing the proposed refurbishment of the heritage Blacksmith's Workshop, which is a well-known feature backing onto Wilson Street Darlington. The area of both structures covers about 2.4 hectares.

Adaptive reuse of the old Carriageworks building and the Blacksmiths Workshop, under public ownership, will generate significant new community and cultural activity on a currently dilapidated industrial site. It will also serve as a major impetus for renewal of the remaining areas of North Eveleigh.

The RWA is also working on proposals for the heritage restoration and adaptive reuse of the old Chief Mechanical Engineers building near the corner of Wilson and Ivy Streets Darlington, which also forms part of the North Eveleigh site.

The Contemporary Performing Arts Centre is scheduled to open in January 2007, in conjunction with the Sydney Festival.

Photo: The new cultural centre will bring North Eveleigh to life for the local community.

New Website Up & Running

The RWA’s new website is up and running at www.redfernwaterloo.com.au

The site will keep you informed about our activities and provide an opportunity for community feedback.

Upgrade of Redfern and Regent Streets

The proposed $20 million upgrades of Redfern and Regent Streets, with a 2007 completion date, is welcome news to the traders and shoppers along these major retail strips. The upgrades will include widening footpaths and new street trees, according to the City of Sydney.

The RWA is proposing a stakeholder partnership, including the Redfern Chamber of Commerce and the City, to ensure that the street upgrades maximise their contribution to the social and economic revitalisation of the area. The RWA is also working with the Roads and Traffic Authority on mitigating traffic impacts in the area, particularly on Regent Street.

Upcoming RWA Events

• Public Launch of Human Services Plan – Scheduled for October 2005.

• Public Launch of Redfern-Waterloo Plan (Stage One) – Tentatively scheduled for November 2005.

Need Assistance?

For more information or to send us your feedback please contact the

Redfern-Waterloo Authority,
Level 11,Tower 2, 1 Lawson Square, Redfern
Tel: (02) 9202 9100 Fax: (02) 9202 9111
Mail: PO Box 3332, Redfern NSW 2016
Email: redfernwaterloo@rwa.nsw.gov.au