Save Erko - DA Lodged for 2 Story Supermarket Building in Erskineville Village – Closes 15th December 2007

There are more appropriate, commercially viable, development solutions which would retain and enhance the Village experience for residents, business owners and visitors alike but we must act now. There is a solution through council consultation and a social impact study. The DA is available for viewing at

www.erskinevillevillage.org  select from the right hand drop down menu “ View DA Online”

Concerns

Village Friends is concerned that there has not been broad community consultation. Supporting this point spokesperson Paul Howard states " We are advised that Council will only be writing to residents and businesses within 25 to 75 metres of the development site. This will mean NO Village businesses will be formally advised by Council along with the majority of affected residents." It is further concerned that a Social Impact Assessment has not been undertaken. A study which would consider issues such as the impact of the development on:

• People’s way of life e.g. quality of life and amenities in a pedestrian friendly area in which the surrounding area is a highly desirable and almost exclusively residential suburb
• Their community e.g. social functioning of community, neighbourly character of the Village
• Their environment e.g. noise, traffic congestion, parking, pollution, rubbish

Providing a Voice to The Community

Village Friends Spokesperson Paul Howard also had the following to say “As a direct result of no broad community consultation and the lack of awareness of this proposed development in the Erskineville / Newtown community (local businesses, residents and home owners) we have had to take the lead to ensure our community is informed.

Statistics : Campaign Successes to Date

To date we have we have partly achieved our aim of ensuring our community is fully aware of this development. They are now in a better position to form their own opinions on the development’s impact. Thus far:

1. There are over 1,000 signatures on the village petition,
2. 350 signatures on our online petition with comments from a very broad range of community members
3. There have been 30 plus individual letters sent from residents to Mayor Clover Moore and
4. Our website in its short life has had over 700 plus unique hits.
   

”Spokesperson Victoria Rati added to this by stating “ We have been encouraged by the community response to date during this extremely short period of campaigning. The level of support clearly demonstrates that the community very much believes this is an inappropriate development for the Village location in question and viable alternatives have already been identified.

However ,much much more needs to be done if we are to save the delightful heart and soul of Erko Village. It is a much admired and uniquely charming community that residents, business owners and our visitors have come to love. Whilst do not know what the precise impact of the development would be we do know that the nature of the Village would be changed forever. Not only would it be the biggest retail development in Erskineville Village by far, it would be much bigger than just about everything in King Street Newtown which is just astounding. “

Next Steps

Village Friends is currently reviewing the DA (over 80 documents) and will be releasing its formal findings on the website within a week. Stay tuned !

About Us

Our common goal is to constructively support development that enhances Erskineville village community for residents, business owners and visitors alike. Locals often comment on how council initiatives have enhanced the village atmosphere while managing the balance between noise and traffic. We believe a development on the site known as the Hive that promotes developers interests and preserves the positive aspects of Erskineville village is entirely possible and necessary for the community. After making some enquiries with builders (one familiar with the site), we believe a mixed residential/home office/retail complex is commercially viable. But we need to find out more. What are your views? We are interested in your views and encourage an avenue for genuine consultation.

For more information, interviews or photos, please contact Village Friends:

By phone Victoria Rati 0404 860 036 Paul Howard 0412 435 532 John Halliday 0409 743 907 Alastair Moir 0412 046 461

By email friends@erskinevillevillage.org

By mail Village Friends, PO Box 853, Newtown NSW

Website: www.erskinevillevillage.org