4.4 Eveleigh Street - Final

4.4 Eveleigh Street

The Eveleigh Street site is bounded by Cleveland Street to the north, Lawson Street to the south, the railway corridor to the east, and Abercrombie and Eveleigh Streets to the west.

Existing characteristics

The site has a diverse mix of residential and older industrial buildings, reflecting the multiple land ownership and its proximity to Cleveland Street. The total area of the site is approximately 3 hectares.

The site accommodates the Block, the area defined by Eveleigh, Caroline, Vine and Louis Streets. The Block is owned by the Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC) and is an important and symbolic place for Aboriginal people. The Block reinforces the wider significance of Redfern as meeting place – “it provides an opportunity to reunite with family and friends from their hometowns or to simply be with their mob” (AHC, 2001).

The Block was a centre for Aboriginal activism, which led to the establishment of a number of Aboriginal controlled services, including the first medical and legal services. It is also significant as the first urban land rights claim in Australia, when in 1973 the Commonwealth government provided a grant to allow the AHC to purchase and restore terrace houses on the Block. Since that time the majority of the AHC terrace houses have been demolished, which has resulted in an informal park area within the centre of the Block. The remaining 19 terrace houses occupy the northern part of the Block and an apartment building fronts Caroline Street at the southern end.

The housing on the residential streets surrounding the Block is predominantly characterised by terrace houses. Residential flat buildings have been developed along parts of Cleveland Street.

Development between Cleveland and Vine Streets is characterised by larger scale industrial buildings. These buildings are occupied by various light industrial, warehousing and other non-residential uses. There are a number of shops along Abercrombie Street.

A pocket park, Pemulwuy Park and disused community building are located on the eastern side of Eveleigh Street adjacent to the railway. The Park has recently been upgraded by City of Sydney council. The community building was formerly occupied by the Murawina Aboriginal Preschool, which relocated to the former Redfern Public School site in 2003.

The site benefits from its proximity to Redfern Railway Station, located directly to the south on Lawson Street.

Creating a vibrant, safe and sustainable community within this site requires a mix of uses.

Existing land use zone

The following zones apply to the Eveleigh Street site under the South Sydney LEP:

• ‘Mixed Use 10 Zone’, generally applies to the northern side of Vine Street and extends to Cleveland Street.
• ‘Residential 2(b) Medium Density Zone’ generally applies between Lawson Street and the southern side of Vine Street, including the Block, with the exception of the property located on the north western corner of Eveleigh and Lawson Streets which is zoned ‘Mixed Use 10 Zone’.
• ‘Special Uses – Community Centre Preschool Zone’ applies to properties between the eastern side of Eveleigh Street and the railway corridor
• ‘Open Space Zone’ applies to properties between the eastern side of Eveleigh Street and the railway corridor; and properties bound by Caroline Street, Eveleigh Street and Caroline Lane.

Proposed land use concept

Encourage employment growth within the site. Create a vibrant sustainable business and residential community, providing opportunities for Aboriginal enterprise; housing, including culturally appropriate housing; and community and cultural facilities.

Diagram 4.7 (pdf ~580kb) illustrates the proposed land use concept for the site.

Proposed design concept

Reinforce the significance of Redfern as a meeting place and centre for Aboriginal activism by:

• ensuring the establishment of a mix of community, cultural and recreation facilities for Aboriginal residents and the wider community
• allowing for the establishment of Aboriginal enterprises, businesses and training and support services on the Block.

Enhance employment uses and the mixed use character of the site, given its proximity to Redfern Railway Station by:

• ensuring appropriate business development opportunities are provided within the site
• encouraging employment activity
• providing for residential development.

Facilitate the development of quality housing for existing and new residents that:

• provides a range of housing types that responds to the social mix of the area
• provides culturally appropriate and sustainable housing for Aboriginal residents
• is designed and located to respond to external factors, including the railway corridor and Cleveland Street, to maximise amenity.

Respect the existing residential and industrial character and built form of the site and provide an appropriate interface to surrounding development by:

• ensuring development responds to the scale, form and design of surrounding development
• providing a three storey height limit along Louis Street, Caroline Street, the western side of Eveleigh Street and northern and southern side of Vine Street in response to the scale of the adjacent terrace houses.

Increased height and floor space ratio along the railway corridor to provide a buffer to the lower scale development to the west.

Provide a safe, vibrant and cohesive community by:

• ensuring active uses adjoin and overlook existing and new open space to provide passive surveillance
• encouraging active non–residential uses at street level and along pedestrian paths to improve pedestrian safety and amenity
• ensuring landscaping, tree planting, lighting and good design of civic spaces, streets and pedestrian paths
• ensuring development fronts and overlooks public streets to facilitate passive surveillance
• maintaining existing street linkages to neighbouring areas to ensure continuous paths for walking, cycling and motorists to maximise activity and opportunities for surveillance
• limiting blank facades and extensive car entry/parking and servicing areas along public streets.

The provision and configuration of open space is to:

• be in accordance with the Open Space and Public Domain Strategy in Section 3.3
• provide a high level of residential amenity for new developments by providing adequate private and communal open space within and around new development parcels
• be located and designed to achieve a high level of privacy and separation between dwellings
• be provided for all new dwellings
• be adjacent to active uses to enable surveillance and maximise the safety and security of spaces
• have good solar access
• be appropriately designed and landscaped with planting, paving, lighting, benches and furniture.

The proposed heights and floor space ratio for the site are illustrated in Diagram 4.8 (pdf ~611kb).

Proposed land use zone

• Business Zone - Mixed Use