Residents to see CUB report - Planning Minister to make document public.

The report–being compiled by former Sydney lord mayor Lucy Turnbull, Chris Johnson from the Department of Planning, Landcom deputy chairman Neil Bird and Heritage Council of NSW chair Michael Collins –had caused some confusion, with residents unsure if they would get a chance to see the final product.

However, a spokeswoman for Mr Sartor said the minister had always intended to make the report public.

The much-anticipated document is due to be presented to Mr Sartor by September and is expected to advise on away forward for the $800-million project.

The State Government “called in” the development earlier this year after Mr Sartor claimed it had been “tangled up in red tape at Town Hall for three years.”

A spokesman for the Department of Planning said they held a meeting last week to get community feedback on key issues affecting the project including the location of a proposed onsite park, heritage, street lay-out and building heights.

No endorsed draft plan was put forward at the meeting, the spokesman said.

Lindsay Charles from the community group Friends of Carlton United Site (FoCUS) attended the community consultation evening, which she described as “pretty grim”.

She said she wanted the department to hold a second consultation meeting and further discuss building heights and density.

Michael Irving from the Chippendale Residents Interest Group said last Tuesday’s meeting was “fairly heated”.

“We weren’t overly happy with the council process,” he said.

“But at least that was a little more transparent.”

Mr Irving said his major concerns were about overdevelopment, the size of buildings on the site and parking.

“People couldn’t get to the meeting because of traffic jams around UTS, right across the road from the site,” he said.

City of Sydney Greens’ councillor Chris Harris called for full details of discussions between the site’s owner, Foster’s, and Mr Sartor to be made public.

“It should be noted that Mr Johnson took this request on notice at the meeting,” he said.

Photo: Greens councillor Chris Harris at the CUB site in Chippendale and, inset, Planning Minister Frank Sartor.

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