Sartor’s grab for control puts residents in a froth

An expert panel will advise Mr Sartor on how the 5.7 hectare Carlton United Brewery site on Broadway should be developed, after the minister intervened in negotiations between the site's owner, Foster's, and the City of Sydney council last month.

While developers welcomed his action, it has outraged Sydney's Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, Chippendale residents and the Greens.

Mr Sartor said he stepped in because the $800 million project had been tangled for three years in council red tape. He has vowed to finalise a development plan for the site by the end of the year.

"Quite frankly, I think at the moment, the proposal that stands ... will lead to a very mediocre outcome," he told an Urban Development Institute of Australia lunch yesterday.

"If I could describe the proposal in these terms, one word might be constipated, another word might be a camel, or you could join the two together and call it a constipated camel."

The finance director at Foster's, Angus McKay, welcomed Mr Sartor's intervention, saying it provided certainty for the site.

"The minister is outlining a process to provide some clear decisions around the significant site. We welcome some pro-active moves on it," he said.

But Cr Moore and locals fear Mr Sartor's oversight will create "slums" because they expect him to approve bigger apartment blocks.

They also accuse Mr Sartor of a cash grab, saying higher housing density will increase the money raised by a levy on the developer, which the Government wants to use for affordable housing in Redfern-Waterloo.

Cr Moore said Mr Sartor was looking after developers at the expense of the community and accountability. "The minister's actions show a contempt for professional advice and the democratic process."

Jeanette Brokman, from the Coalition of Chippendale Community Groups, called on Mr Sartor to commit to a sustainable housing density and cut the number of car parks on the site, which is expected to house up to 3000 people in 1800 units.

She also wanted an assurance that the community facilities agreed by the council -including a 5000-square-metre park - would be retained.

Mr Sartor says his control will "not necessarily" lead to a higher density, and guarantees the same, if not better, community facilities will be included.

The Property Council of Australia's NSW executive director, Ken Morrison, said the site could handle a higher-density development because of its size and proximity to the city and public transport.

"This isn't something we should be shying away from, these are sites we should be throwing density at," he said.

Heritage is expected to be a major issue, with Mr Sartor and his panel chairman, the former government architect Chris Johnson, questioning the value of some of the site's 30 buildings on the council's heritage list.

Photo: "Constipated camel"... the Broadway brewery site. Photo: Nick Moir