Brewery sale sparks resident concerns

The brewer, Foster's, has sold the Broadway site to a Singapore-based property group for $208 million.

The new owner, Frasers Property, say it has already received approval from the New South Wales Government for a mixed residential, retail and entertainment development.

But David Pocklington, from the Chippendale Residents Interest Group, says residents are worried about the proposed development.

"We're certainly happy to see development on the site, but no talk of design excellence or high environmental standards or all the other guff we're going to hear from the developer will hide the fact that what has been allowed on this site and is proposed by [the Planning] Minister Frank Sartor, is a gross overdevelopment of the site," he said.

Council hoping for consultation

Sydney City Council is hoping to reassert some influence over the development of the site.

Councillor John McInerney says he hopes the developer will re-establish dialogue with the council, which lost control of the site to the Planning Minister Frank Sartor.

"Hopefully we could see a developer who comes to the Central Sydney Planning Committee or to council. Both are at one on this issue," he said.

"[Hopefully the developer] comes to those bodies, and says we'd like a rethink, in the context of a better design, for both the site itself and its relationship with the people of Chippendale."

What about climate change?

The Greens Councillor, Chris Harris, says the State Government has missed an opportunity to address climate change in the design of the redevelopment.

"We're having 2,300 cars imported into a five-hectare site where there are currently none," he said.

"It's [the development] is going to use a billion litres of water from the dam."

"There was no attempt to collect water and recycle water on the site. Sewage would be pumped into the ocean, no attempt to treat sewage, [or] deal with its own sewage".

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200706/s1949666.htm