Kristina Keneally's Submission to the Redfern Waterloo Authority's Draft Built Environment Plan

The draft BEP shows that the State Government’s intent is to use the RWA to create employment and educational opportunities for residents in the local community.

In fact, the draft BEP demonstrates that vast majority of the sites – 7 of the 8 – will be primarily used for community and employment purposes.

I also stated that I have been disappointed that many of the critics of the draft BEP – especially in the Sydney media and the Lord Mayor – have failed to engage comprehensively with the previous draft plans put out by the RWA: the Human Services Plan and the Enterprise and Employment Plan.  By viewing the draft BEP as a stand alone document – that is, by not reading it in context of the other plans for the area – its critics often miss the mark by not understanding the outcomes the RWA is trying to achieve.

However, that is not to say that all criticism of the draft BEP is invalid.  Many residents have contacted me to express their views on the future of the reserve at Marian Street, which the draft BEP designates for an 18-storey building.

I do accept the residents’ concerns that open space is a valued commodity in the inner city, and their sadness at the potential loss of this reserve.  However, I am less certain that the current use of the reserve at Marian Street is the most appropriate, given the economic and social challenges in the area.  But I would urge the RWA to ensure that the draft BEP reflects residents’ desires to have access to appropriate open space within Redfern and Waterloo and in particular in the Marian Street area. 

I also spoke in the submission about Redfern Railway Station, the Redfern Public School site and North Eveleigh and the Block.  For a full copy of the submission, contact me on kristina.keneally@parliament.nsw.gov.au