[North Eveleigh] Sydney Uni Consultation & North Eveleigh Working Group

Wed Mar 5 18:02:22 EST 2014

Dear North Eveleigh & Darlington People

The North Eveleigh Working Group met on 24 February to catch up in the new year covering a wide range of issues and concerns across the site from building damage to the state of the sites heritage. It looks like there will be quite a lot of activity going on this year to determine the future of the site. The Working Group will meet again on 24 March at Carriageworks. If you would like to be involved in the Working Group please let me know.

The Darlington Resident Group RAIDD have been working on the issues facing residents around the Sydney University Abercrombie Street Business School development and they are also working on responses to the University’s latest plans. RAIDD meet at 4.30pm upstairs at the Royal Hotel on the First Sunday of the Month. If you would like to become involved, join their email list, or get further information email Mary Ellen or Col at raidd2008 at gmail.com. 

Sydney University Consultation

This is also to alert you to an extension of the Sydney University exhibition on their Campus Improvement Programme (CIP). 

The CIP is Sydney University’s latest part of a growth plan by the University which will see it increase in floor space by 68% between 2013 and 2010, with a 21% increase in Students, 19% increase in parking, 4000 new student accommodation places and buildings going from their current maximum of 8-9 storeys up to 18-19 storeys. You can get a quick overview in the article I did for the front page of South Sydney Herald - Sydney Uni expands on plans <http://www.southsydneyherald.com.au/sydney-uni-expands-on-plans/> . 

You can see the full set of documents on the State Significant Development site at SSD 13_6123 Campus Improvement Program 2014-2020 for Camperdown-Darlington Campus <http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=6123> . The Main document is Environmental Impact Statement for the Campus Improvement Program - EIS low res.pdf <https://majorprojects.affinitylive.com/public/64b24e5229e8c3328efe0e83f2b39c06/2014-01-22%20Stage%201%20SSDA%20Campus%20Improvement%20Program%20EIS_FINAL_Jan%202014_low%20res.pdf>  (2.973 MB) or EIS High Resolution.pdf <https://majorprojects.affinitylive.com/public/821f414a0fabbfd8969feee0dd23eeae/Stage%201%20SSDA%20Campus%20Improvement%20Program%20EIS_High%20Resolution.pdf>  (37.89 MB). The balance of the documents are Appendices to the report. The EIS is designed to be printed on A3 paper and is not easy to read. The University has a A3 copy in the foyer of their services building which some people might find easier to navigate. A video is also available however it seems to differ in some respects to the printed document as it predates the University Senate signoff - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5Df2Ihbg8vE> &v=5Df2Ihbg8vE 

Sydney University will continue to take input from the community through until March 31st and will hold three more information sessions for people to drop in and look at the plans and ask questions. Attached you will find a copy of the University’s flyer which is being distributed. The Information sessions are as follows: 

·         Sydney Uni Campus Improvement Plan 2020 Information Session - Wed 12 March 5–7pm <http://www.redwatch.org.au/Events/140312usyd> . 

·         Sydney Uni Campus Improvement Plan 2020 Information Session - Wed 19 March 5–7pm <http://www.redwatch.org.au/Events/140319usyd>  

·         Sydney Uni Campus Improvement Plan 2020 Information Session - Saturday 22 March 5–7pm <http://www.redwatch.org.au/Events/140322usyd>  

The extension by the University however is currently informal. The University has said that they will include community comments they receive in their report back to the Department of Planning. The formal exhibition however was for only 28 days and has now ended. The Dept will receive late submissions for a short period and community members are urged to get something in registering any objections they have ASAP. This is because the University’s extension will not currently be counted as part of the statutory exhibition and so objections made to it will not be guaranteed as being registered by the Department and used to determine if the University’s proposal is assessed by an independent panel.

Over the last week we have learnt that the Department requested the University to consult with community groups in their preparation of the plans. The University did not do this. In fact the Planning Director General’s requirements specifically mentioned REDWatch and RAIDD (Residents Acting in Darlington’s Defence) as community groups the University needed to consult with. You can see a brief item I did for the South Sydney Herald on this under Sydney University – consultation disaster <http://www.southsydneyherald.com.au/sydney-university-consultation-disaster/> . We have written to the Director General about the failure of the University to comply, the failure of the Dept to identify this non-compliance before exhibition and the disadvantage that has resulted for the community. RAIDD have prepared the attached draft letter which they are encouraging people to send to the Department. This letter which is attached combines the complaint about the University’s failure to comply with the request that the senders objection to the proposal be registered and taken into account in determining that the proposal should be assessed by a planning panel. We encourage you to consider send off this letter of something similar in intent. We also encourage you to have a look at what the University is proposing and raise any specific concerns with the University and copy in the Department before the end of March. 

The Sydney University CIP is a very large document covering a significant change for the University and Darlington where much of it will occur. 

The current exhibition will lock in height and building envelopes, heritage removals and some building uses so if you have any concerns then now is the time to raise them.

PLEASE PASS THIS EMAIL ON TO FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS THAT MAY HAVE AN INTEREST.

Regards,

Geoff

Geoffrey Turnbull

Spokesperson

REDWatch

Ph Wk: (02) 8004 1490  Mob: 0418 457 392

email:  <mailto:mail at redwatch.org.au> mail at redwatch.org.au 

web:  <http://www.redwatch.org.au> www.redwatch.org.au 

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