The Redfern-Waterloo Precinct Outcomes Brief is issued by the Director General of the Department of Planning to the Sydney Metropolitan Development Authority (SMDA) and follows a meeting of agencies including the City of Sydney Council to discuss what should be included in the brief.

The SMDA will now undertake the required studies across Redfern, Waterloo, Eveleigh and Darlington (Redfern-Waterloo Potential Precinct Map) and report back as set out in the Guidelines to the Urban Renewal SEPP. The study must be exhibited for at least 30 days.

The Brief requires the SMDA to look specifically at a number of areas including the ATP, North Eveleigh, Land around Redfern Station, The Lachlan Precinct, Rachel Fooster and The Redfern Town Centre. The brief also covers public housing, employment, infrastructure, connectivity and transport.

For ease of access below in text form is the detail of the Redfern-Waterloo Precinct Outcomes Brief. The brief refers to various planning policies as follows – SP = State Plan, MP = Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036, SEPP = State Environmental Planning Policy (Urban Renewal) 2010

Redfern Waterloo Precinct Outcomes Brief

State Policy Directions: Access to key activities (retail, office, health, education, leisure and entertainment facilities, community and personal services) is improved (SP, MP)

Precinct Outcomes: A greater level of accessibility is provided to a diverse range essential services, educational facilities and recreational activities within the precinct.

Suggested Local Renewal Actions:

• Reinforce and expand ATP as a major innovation / education and commercial hub interconnected with North Eveleigh as a major mixed use hub including commercial / residential / cultural / educational and creative industries.
• Identify remaining opportunity sites and ensure after hours activation of the ATP site is achieved.
• Investigate safe and attractive above ground pedestrian and cycle connections between North Eveleigh / Universities and ATP.
• Promote opportunities for the provision of supporting land uses in local activity hubs for new and existing residents, including education, health, retail and essential services.

State Policy Directions: Greater community and dwelling diversity is provided (MP)

Precinct Outcomes: The mix of dwellings in Redfern and Waterloo social housing areas is more balanced and a wide range of dwelling types is provided across the precinct.

Suggested Local Renewal Actions:

• Achieve a 40:60 split of public: private housing on Redfern and Waterloo social housing sites and incorporate 10% affordable housing in the private housing component.
• Investigate opportunities for greater provision of affordable housing for key workers within the precinct.
• Identify ways to integrate social, affordable and private housing to encourage social inclusion.
• Renew existing social housing stock and encourage social sustainability within the precinct.

State Policy Directions: State dwelling and employment targets are met (MP)

Precinct Outcomes: Metropolitan Plan dwelling and employment targets for the Sydney City Subregion have been met.

Suggested Local Renewal Actions:

• Make an appropriate contribution to the Metropolitan Plan City of Sydney Local Government Area targets of 61,000 new dwellings and 114,000 new jobs.
• Maximise the opportunity of key redevelopment sites to contribute to the achievement of these targets.

State Policy Directions: A vibrant place has been created which is a focus for community activity, cultural development and social inclusion (MP)

Precinct Outcomes: Redfern Waterloo is a vibrant, diverse precinct that provides jobs, quality housing and a wide range of supporting uses.

Suggested Local Renewal Actions:

• SMDA to continue to facilitate social and community partnerships.
• Create an economic, social and culturally successful Aboriginal precinct around the redevelopment of The Block, the National Centre of Indigenous excellence, Yaama Dhiyaan Hospitality Training College and the Les Tobler Construction Training Centre.
• Identify employment types to be promoted in the precinct, housing requirements and social infrastructure required to create a vibrant community.
• Respond to and respect areas and items of significant cultural heritage in the precinct, including the former Eveleigh Railway Workshop.
• Support the diverse cultural heritage present within the local community, including the Indigenous community and other established and emerging cultural groups.
• Ensure the public domain is safe and that opportunities for crime and antisocial behaviour are minimised.
• Ensure a sufficient quantum of local infrastructure including parks, recreation areas and community facilities is provided.
• These facilities have high accessibility, activation, amenity and useability and are well located to serve the future population.

State Policy Directions: Development is predominantly located in accessible areas around existing and proposed infrastructure (SP, MP, SEPP)

Precinct Outcomes: The highly accessible areas of ATP, North Eveleigh, Redfern, Regent and Gibbons Streets have been renewed and activated.

Suggested Local Renewal Actions:

• Explore opportunities with the universities, industry and commercial investors in developing future land use planning options for the ATP site.
• Conduct block-by-block analysis for redevelopment opportunities in Redfern and Gibbons Streets, and if necessary, develop new DCP-like controls to promote renewal and redevelopment.
• Investigate opportunities for local initiatives to activate vacant shopfronts in Redfern, Regent and Gibbons Streets.

State Policy Directions: Opportunities for redevelopment of key Government and privately owned sites have been explored (SEPP)

Precinct Outcomes: Renewal opportunities for key sites have been explored.

Suggested Local Renewal Actions:

• Investigate opportunities to facilitate redevelopment and renewal of key opportunity sites such as North Eveleigh, other government land holdings around Redfern Station, Railcorp land, Lachlan Precinct and former Rachel Foster Hospital site or any redundant / underutilised sites.
• Resolve the future direction of the North Eveleigh site including desired future land uses and a strategic framework for renewal, relative to the operational requirements of the site in terms of Government rail projects.
• Promote the efficient renewal of social housing stock within the precinct.

State Policy Directions: Infrastructure is better utilised (SP, MP)

Precinct Outcomes: Redfern Station is the primary northern gateway and Green Square Station is the primary southern gateway.   Both stations have good connections throughout the precinct.

Suggested Local Renewal Actions:

• SMDA to facilitate partnerships with transport agencies to look at opportunities for the upgrade of Redfern Station, ensuring improved connectivity, a suitable mix of landuses and appropriate activation.
• Provide safe and attractive connections to and from Redfern Station to key sites, preferably not below ground.
• SMDA to facilitate staging of infrastructure upgrades and renewal within the precinct.
• Explore appropriate connections to Green Square Town Centre and Station.

State Policy Directions: Opportunities for walking, cycling and public transport have been increased and the number of car journeys to access services have been decreased (SP, MP)

Precinct Outcomes: Pedestrian and cycle ways link key sites within the precinct, across Redfern station and the railway corridor.

Suggested Local Renewal Actions:

• Investigate safe and attractive pedestrian and cycle connections between North Eveleigh / universities and ATP.
• Investigate opportunities to activate Lawson Street around Redfern Station.
• Review the local road network across the precinct and investigate opportunities to reopen closed streets to improve safety and accessibility. 
• Re-establish connections to make the local street network more permeable for pedestrians, cyclists and traffic
• Explore ways to increase cycle, pedestrian and public transport mode share.
• Achieve State Plan 60% public transport mode share target.
• Incorporate existing planning for the Eastern Transit Corridor in renewal of the precinct.

State Policy Directions: Social infrastructure is appropriate, adequate and accessible (SP, MP)

Precinct Outcomes: A significant portion of Redfern and Waterloo social housing has been retained and renewed and community facilities / services are provided to support the expanding population.

Suggested Local Renewal Actions:

• Ensure renewal does not contribute to a reduction in social housing across the City of Sydney Local Government Area.
• Explore innovative and high quality designs for new social housing that provides high amenity and meets changing needs.
• Establish local activity hubs which provide services and facilities to meet the needs of the existing and new population.
• Make an appropriate contribution to the affordable housing targets set out by the City of Sydney.

State Policy Directions: Sustainability has been improved through the incorporation of design measures for climate change adaptation (SP, MP)

Precinct Outcomes: Water, energy and waste minimisation systems are incorporated in all new developments.

Suggested Local Renewal Actions:

• SMDA to develop partnerships with the City of Sydney to promote sustainability and deliver green outcomes.
• In redeveloping key larger sites consider a whole of block approach for ESD initiatives to improve environmental outcomes, efficiency and cost.
• Investigate with City of Sydney the provision of a network of ‘green energy’ in the public domain.

Source: Redfern-Waterloo Precinct Outcomes Brief at  Urban Renewal - www.planning.nsw.gov.au/StrategicPlanning/UrbanRenewal/tabid/486/language/en-US/Default.aspx