REDWatch Submission on CUB Concept Plan

REDWatch SUBMISSION REGARDING CARLTON UNITED BREWERY SITE, CHIPPENDALE

MAJOR PROJECT NUMBER 06_0171

I write on behalf of REDWatch, the resident and community group which covers the area under the administration of the Redfern Waterloo Authority.

REDWatch is not had the time or resources to do a detailed analysis of all the documents presented as part of the Concept Plan. REDWatch hence must leave detailed responses on issues to organizations that have been able to do this detailed analysis. In general terms from the discussions we have had with City of Sydney Councilors and Staff and with residents involved in the Combined Chippendale Community Groups, REDWatch supports the concerns they are raising in their submissions.

AS the local Government body with previous responsibility for the CUB site and the surrounding areas the proponent and the Department of Planning should take special consideration of the submission form the City of Sydney Council.

REDWatch wishes to make specific reference in our objection to the following issues raised by the  CUB Site concept Plan on exhibition:

1. The CUB site should have remained under the control of the City of Sydney and the CSPC and not been called in as a major project.

2. The Concept Plan does not justify the departures it makes from what had been previously negotiated between the proponent and the City of Sydney Council. It should have done so.

3. The Process used to establish the Experts report to the Minister did not allow for adequate community consultation or discussion and as a result these recommendations lacked community consultation or community support.

4. The size and complexity of the concept plan were such that it was not possible for the effected community to get an understandable overview of what was proposed for the site and how it might impact on their neighborhood. The display held at UTS we held at very short notice and were not adequately notified. They also did not allow for any interchange between the proponents and those who have reservations about the project.

5. To allow full public consideration a re-exhibition of 2 months should be required.

6. REDWatch is of the view that the project is an overdevelopment of the site. There can be no justifiable planning basis for using either the maximum height under the flight path or the height of the UTS tower adoration to justify the heights under consideration. If the rest of the city to the north of the UTS tower looked like this then the argument would be valid. It does not and the argument falls.

7. REDWatch believes there are significant livability issues with the concentration and the associated sun access issues to residents in the development. These will impact on the future community who will live in the development as well as those in surrounding areas.

8. REDWatch is of the view that affordable housing should be provided in all developments and not cashed out to provide concentrations of affordable housing in other locations such as Redfern Waterloo.

9. In principal REDWatch objects to a sliding scale of affordable housing charges which deliver a higher percentage for affordable housing if the densities are higher. This exacerbates the conflict of interest between the governments’ role of consent authority and beneficiary of the affordable housing contributions from the project.

Based on all of the above REDWatch objects to the proposal and is of the view that the project should undergo a more rigorous examination and debate. The concept plan should not be approved in its current state.

Yours sincerely

Geoffrey Turnbull
Spokesperson
REDWatch
c/- PO Box 1567
Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
Ph Wk: (02) 9318 0824
mail@redwatch.org.au

 
REDWatch is a residents and friends group covering Redfern Eveleigh Darlington and Waterloo (the same area covered by the Redfern Waterloo Authority). REDWatch monitors the activities of government activities such as the RWA and RWPP and seek to ensure community involvement in all decisions made about the area.