What next for North Eveleigh?

The Minister announced that the concept plan has reached a balance between preserving the site’s heritage buildings, whilst creating a welcoming, vibrant location for people to work and live. “The plan I’m announcing today would strike a balance between these challenges, and at the same time recognise the site’s worker and railway history,” she explained. 

The original plan that was submitted in 2008 met with some opposition with 161 responses enacted from the 680 community submissions. “Consultation on the original plan resulted in significant changes, including the removal of several proposed buildings and inclusion of five new parks,” the Minister said.

Ms Keneally insisted, that of the 6,500 new jobs that would be created by the $550 million development, 300 would go to Indigenous workers and more than half of the total maintained after the completion of construction.

The ink of the Minister’s pen still drying, the site’s future development remains uncertain with no definite contenders stepping forward. The Global Financial Crisis has stymied development and with the bottom of the trough possibly another year’s descent away, some at the RWA are bracing for the fact that Sydney University may be the only contender.

Holding the leash of the community watchdog REDWatch, Geoff Turnbull commented: “It could be that the Uni is the only one able to afford [to develop].”

At present the University, which announced a $100 million loss on the market in late 2008, has not made a formal expression of interest. In the summer 2009 edition of the Uni’s Sydney Alumni Magazine, then Assistant Director, Campus Planning and Development Professor Richmond Jeremy described the acquisition of the site as a “get-out-of-jail-free card”.

Media Manager from the office of the Vice Chancellor Andrew Potter said it was “premature” to set down the University’s definite position or intention regarding plans to extend into the site, whilst awaiting the Government to assert the processes to be followed. “The University of Sydney has expressed interest in the site at North Eveleigh for the past 12 months. We would welcome the opportunity to work with the NSW State Government to bring about appropriate urban renewal on the site,” Mr Potter said.

The recent concerns regarding the development’s lack of progress were compounded with the resignation of former RWA CEO Robert Domm in November 2008. But things should gain pace as a new CEO has been announced. “Two weeks ago the Minister announced the appointment of Mr Roy Wakelin-King as the new CEO of the Redfern-Waterloo Authority,” a spokesperson for the Minister confirmed. 

Another issue for he Uni and other potential developers is that 12 per cent affordable housing has yet to be established at the site, preventing definite plans. Mr Turnbull believes this to be a major issue because developers have to plan around something that has not been determined.

According to the Minister’s spokesperson, the location of the affordable residences will be the decision of the RWA.

Recently members of the Darlington community have expressed concern that a fledgling commercial hub at the former rail-yards would lead to dramatic influxes of traffic throughout the day. But Mr Turnbull commented that traffic volume would be significantly less if the University were present in North Eveleigh, due to the predominant use of public transport by students and staff.

See page 10 for more.

Photo: Andrew Collis - Caption: North Eveleigh site

Source: South Sydney Herald March 2009 www.southsydneyherald.com.au