City of Sydney calls public meeting for 15 June 2006 on CUB

Urgent Update on Carlton and United Breweries Site

I write to invite you to an urgent meeting to update you on significant events surrounding the future of the Carlton and United Breweries (CUB) site.

7.30 pm, Thursday 15 June 2006
Medina Executive Sydney Central, in the Royal Mail Room
2 Lee Street Sydney (adjacent to Central Station)

The Minister for Planning, Frank Sartor, has written to me at the eleventh hour seeking increased Floor Space Ratio (FSR) controls for the CUB site and last minute inclusion of the Redfern Waterloo Authority (RWA) affordable housing levy in the draft Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA) that the City was almost finished negotiating with Fosters, the site owner.

The Minister’s late intervention threatens to increase height and density on the site; to derail negotiations on the VPA; and to compromise the community benefits for residents, including the proposed 5,000 square metre public park and $2.5 million community centre.

The City of Sydney and Central Sydney Planning Committee (CSPC) signed off on planning controls for the site in December last year, with an agreed FSR range of 3.5:1 to of 4:1. The absolute upper end of the range is conditional on achieving high standards of amenity, heritage, design excellence, parkland and sustainability. The draft controls were developed to balance the owner’s rights with environmental constraints and community benefits.

Over the past six months, the City has worked with the site’s owners to complete a VPA to secure all public benefits. This process is occurring for the fist time under new planning legislation and the Council and CSPC agreed that the draft VPA be publicly exhibited with the draft planning controls.

The Minister’s last minute intervention has caused uncertainty and resulted in the site’s owner backing away from an agreement that was about to be signed. The City had received RWA advice that the State Government would separately negotiate an affordable housing levy. While that levy was expected to be around three per cent of the development value, it now appears a higher level is proposed, compromising the VPA and the intended public benefits.

This looks like the Cross City Tunnel all over again—the Government seeking up front fees in exchange for controls that benefit the developer but are contrary to the public interest.

I hope that you can attend this urgent meeting, as this issue is extremely important to the future of your neighbourhood. The Medina is the closest venue available at short notice.

For further information, contact Steve Thompson in my office on telephone 9265 9783 or email sthompson@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.

Clover Moore MP
Lord Mayor of Sydney