Ashmore redevelopment lacks planning, say residents

The Ashmore Precinct is located in Erskineville and is bounded by Ashmore Street, Mitchell Road, Coulson Street and the Bankstown rail line. The City of Sydney intends to see the 17-hectare Erskineville site transformed from a light industrial zone to a thriving residential area. In Council’s vision for urban renewal of the precinct, Ashmore Estate will provide much needed new homes, public open space and local services to the inner city.

But residents are concerned that the proposed project is an overdevelopment of the site and that it lacks coordinated development of infrastructure to manage the increased demand it will create – particularly for water infrastructure, public transport and traffic systems as well as school and preschool facilities in the area, all of which are already under strain.

The community also expressed dissatisfaction in finding itself caught in the middle of a disagreement between the Council and the State about who should control projects such as Ashmore. As a result of this disagreement, residents have been forced to respond to proposals that have yet to be accepted and confirmed.

Community members present at the meeting unanimously passed a set of seven resolutions. These include a call for an alternative urban design study for the area, as well as for traffic, social economic and environmental impact studies to be undertaken before any changes are made to the 2006 Development Control Plans.

Residents are also requesting that a working group consisting of representatives from the City of Sydney, the state government and the local community be established to take an advisory role in the development of Ashmore Estate and, importantly, in any changes made to the 2006 DCP. 

Details of the redevelopment are available at: www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Development/UrbanRenewalProjects/Ashmore.asp . More information on FOE and the community response to the redevelopment can be found at www.erskinevillevillage.org