[North Eveleigh] REDWatch Social AGM & Membership / Waterloo South Update / Council Meeting Changes / Waterloo Metro OSD Exhibition

Tue Dec 2 15:08:17 AEDT 2025

Dear REDWatch members, supporters and agencies,

REDWatch Social Gathering 6pm & AGM - 7pm 4th December 2025

Stockland Concept Plan Consultation Last week - until 5 Dec 2025

Waterloo South Stage One Demolition - feedback by 10 Dec 2025

Demolition truck movements through the estate

Council revised code of meeting practice - comment until 10 Dec 2025

Waterloo Metro OSD Changes Exhibition Until 14 January 2026

REDWatch is looking for people to be actively involved

REDWatch Membership
Please note - this email contains hyperlinks. This means that if you see a blue underlined word or phrase that you can click on it and go directly to a document or to get more information.
REDWatch Social Gathering 6pm & AGM - 7pm 4th December 2025
REDWatch is an incorporated body, which means it must have an Annual General Meeting that elects office bearers and members to its Coordination Group. Existing members have received formal notice.
REDWatch will be holding its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday December 4th 2025 at 7 pm at Counterpoint's Factory Community Centre 67 Raglan Street Waterloo. This is an in-person meeting and there will be no Zoom link for this meeting.
Before the formalities of the AGM kick-off at 7pm, we will have an informal catch up from 6pm. REDWatch will provide some drinks and nibbles and you can bring something for yourself or to share if you wish.
The purpose of the pre-meeting catch up is for the REDWatch community to come together, chat, reflect on the last year and get to know one another, as well as share some nibbles and drinks. We would love to see those who support REDWatch turn up. Feel free to bring other interested people along.
You can find out more about how to be involved in REDWatch and membership later in this email update.
Stockland Concept Plan Consultation Last week - until 5 Dec 2025
Stockland has placed the content of its  information displays<https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/68e5bd886589104662180f8d/6923c06f82977e6bf5006389_Waterloo_Info-feedback-sessions-Nov25.pdf> about the Waterloo South Concept Plan on the Waterloo Renewal website<https://www.waterloorenewal.com.au/>. These boards have additional information to that shown in the on-line presentation<https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/68e5bd886589104662180f8d/691170ff8ff7c30f347514f9_Waterloo%203%20Nov%20Online%20Session%20presentation.pdf> session and in graphics on its website.
Please note the display boards include a board on the Social Impact Assessment and REDWatch encourages people to also comment upon this aspect as well as the Concept Plan and rezoning.
This is the last week of Stockland's pre-lodgement consultation. Stockland will then take people's input into consideration in the preparation of Stockland's formal concept plan and rezoning application which it expects to lodge in March 2026 before formal exhibition. Stockland has undertaken to also report back to the community on what it heard. If you want to provide input on the proposal or ask any questions, please email hello at waterloorenewal.com.au<mailto:hello at waterloorenewal.com.au> or Phone 1800 997 318. Stockland will accept submissions / comments in writing until 5pm on 5th December 2025.
Waterloo South Stage One Demolition - feedback by 10 Dec 2025
Homes NSW's proposal for the Waterloo South Stage 1 Demolition Notice<http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/stage1/251113hnsw/view> is running at the same time as the Concept Plan consultation, but in a separate process. The Demolition Notice is a formal notice and is the only opportunity to comment on the Stage One demolition before it is finalised for approval.
This requires people to make separate input to Homes NSW about its demolition plan even if you have made comments that may be relevant to Stockland as part of its consultation. All feedback on the proposed demolition needs to be received by Wednesday 10 December to CommunityEngagement at homes.nsw.gov.au<mailto:CommunityEngagement at homes.nsw.gov.au>.
To ensure transparency from Homes NSW around the redevelopment of Waterloo, REDWatch has requested that the Demolition Notice is also placed on the official Homes NSW Waterloo website<https://www.nsw.gov.au/about-nsw/housing-and-infrastructure-projects/social-building-projects/waterloo-renewal-project>. This has been now done and you can now access the notification letter (PDF 84.52KB)<https://www.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/noindex/2025-11/waterloo-ref-statutory-notification-letter.pdf> and a notification plan (PDF 830.44KB)<https://www.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/noindex/2025-11/waterloo-south-notification-plan.pdf> from that site under the Waterloo south-planning tab.
Homes NSW has issued the demolition notice to try and speed up the demolition to minimise the time that units are vacant and may be broken into after relocations.
In our last email REDWatch set out some of its concerns regarding tree retention at demolition, managing rats during demolition, training of workers on the site in dealing with those suffering trauma and other issues, respite periods and the need for any identified social issues requiring management in the Social Impact Assessment to also apply to the demolition.
The proposed demolition work, if approved, is expected to begin in early to mid-2026 as part of a staged demolition program over 6 - 9 months after tenants have been relocated. Homes NSW will first need to appoint a demolition contractor.
Demolition truck movements through the estate
Since the last email update REDWatch has received from Homes NSW a copy of the Construction Traffic Management Plan - for Demolition in response to our questions about truck movements through the estate which was not covered in the original notice.
The demolition Traffic Management Plan shows that truck movements will happen via Wellington Street, and either Cope Street or George Street to and from the Stage 1 demolition. Large trucks need to enter from the Botany Road direction, while smaller vehicles (under 3 metric tonnes) can use Elizabeth Street.
Construction vehicles travelling on and off Wellington Street from Cope or George Streets will require the use of more road width than provided by the current lane markings. As such, it is recommended that Traffic Controllers be in place at these locations to observe and manage the turning movements of construction vehicles. No queuing or marshalling of trucks is permitted on any public road.
Council revised code of meeting practice - comment until 10 Dec 2025
In August 2025 the NSW Government introduced legislation which will significantly rewrite how people and community groups engage with local council decision making. These changes will come into effect from January 1st 2026.
The Office of Local Government is clear that Council and committee meetings are exclusively for councillors to discuss and make decisions. Under the new code of meeting practice, community members will no longer be allowed to speak on agenda items during committee meetings. Currently in City of Sydney, community members can address Council Committees, but not Council meetings.
The draft code of meeting practice includes new mandatory provisions, which state that Council may hold public forums before meetings. Committee and Council meetings will be open for the public to observe either in person or online. The Office of Local Government will publish guidance on how it expects public forums to be run.
Other key changes to the mandatory provisions include:

  *   Lord Mayor can now call extraordinary meetings without requiring additional councillor signatures
  *   councils can now deal with urgent business at a meeting without prior notice, provided all councillors are present and the Council passes a resolution to do so.
  *   briefing sessions can't be held on matters listed on meeting agendas. Any information given to a councillor about an agenda item must be made available to the public.
  *   the definition of 'acts of disorder' has been expanded, and there are new rules about when councillors and members of the public can be expelled from meetings.
  *   councils must include provisions for public forums in their code. Public forums must be held separately from committee or Council meetings.
  *   councillors can now only attend meetings by audio-visual link if they're unwell or have unforeseen caring responsibilities.
  *   the Lord Mayor can put Mayoral Minutes to the meeting without notice on any matter they consider appropriate.
  *   Confidential information presented at closed meetings must be published once it's no longer confidential. We'll develop administrative procedures once the Office of Local Government releases guidelines on this matter.
All councils must adopt a code of meeting practice. You can see the proposed City of Sydney code of meeting practice including all the mandatory provisions from the model code, along with some optional provisions and additional rules specific to the City of Sydney here<https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/policy-planning-changes/share-view-revised-code-meeting-practice> until Wednesday 10th December.
Waterloo Metro OSD Changes Exhibition Until 14 January 2026
The Waterloo Metro Quarter Over Station Development (OSD) proposed changes have been placed on public exhibition by Planning NSW for submissions until 14 January 2026.
These changes are contained in four separate exhibitions. This includes a Second Amending Concept DA, which changes the planning controls, as well as three separate State Significant Development Applications (SSDAs) for the North and Central precincts of the site and the Basement.
REDWatch suggests that you are best to get an overview of the changes from the Amending Concept Plan document and then look at the SSDAs for the building details.
The links to the Waterloo Metro Quarter Concept Plan and State Significant Development modification exhibition documents are below:

  *   Waterloo Metro Quarter - Second Amending Concept<https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/waterloo-metro-quarter-second-amending-concept>
  *   Waterloo Metro Quarter - Northern Precinct<https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/waterloo-metro-quarter-northern-precinct>
  *   Waterloo Metro Quarter - Central Precinct<https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/waterloo-metro-quarter-central-precinct>
  *   Waterloo Basement - Modification 3 for internal layout changes<https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/waterloo-basement-modification-3-internal-layout-changes>
Planning NSW has now fixed its website presentation issues. The main document for each exhibition is the Environment Impact Statement (EIS) which is at the top of the EIS section list and its Appendices now appear in order under the EIS. Fixing this saves REDWatch from needing to produce an easy to access listing.
The amendment makes no change to the maximum permitted Gross Floor Area, as the floorspace will be redistributed within the revised envelopes. Further, the amended proposal will not exceed the permissible building height for the site under the Sydney LEP 2012. The main changes are:

  *   Northern Precinct:  Change the approved building envelope, building height and concept land use for the northern precinct by replacing the 17-storey commercial office building envelope with a revised envelope for a 4-storey podium with two tower forms above, totalling 29-storeys (Building 1A) and 26-storeys (Building 1B) in height (including plant level). The residential towers will include market housing, communal facilities and the provision of 5% affordable housing.
  *   Central Precinct:  Change the approved building envelope and conceptual land use for the central precinct by replacing the residential apartment tower with a co-living housing tower, still above a non-residential podium, comprising retail and a community facility including childcare. The proposed built form will allow for a 26-storey (including plant level) building.
  *   Basement: Redistribute basement space between Northern and Central precincts pursuant to Section 4.55(2) of the EP&A Act to modify the detailed Basement SSDA (SSD 10438) relating to the basement levels to buildings within the northern and central precinct.
These changes primarily reflect a commercial downturn in commercial office space in the area, which was planned with large floor plates and its replacement with residential buildings, which require good solar access to meet apartment design requirements, including an additional co-living tower.
Those with an interest in how shadowing may impact the new Waterloo Park to be delivered by the Waterloo South redevelopment will be interested in the Point of Time Shadow Diagrams for the Future Waterloo Estate park p42-46 of the Concept Plan Appendix J - Overshadowing<https://majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/prweb/PRRestService/mp/01/getContent?AttachRef=SSD-79307765%2120251114T023844.899%20GMT>.
REDWatch is looking for people to be actively involved
One of the challenges for a group like REDWatch is we cover issues across four suburbs, including built environment and human service issues for both public and private residents. This means that finding people happy to volunteer their time to help steer this work can be more challenging that organising a campaign where people are directly impacted by a development. On top of that we find younger people, who become involved often get pushed out of the area due to the high cost of housing or they move into jobs that make it difficult for them to also hold key roles in REDWatch because of potential conflicts of interest. Once a year at our AGM we put out a call for people who are willing to become more involved and pick up some experience working across our diverse community.
If you like what REDWatch does and want to know more, we suggest you have a read of REDWatch Overview: Why, How and What we Do<http://www.redwatch.org.au/redwatch/about/230605redwwhw/view>. If you would like to discuss the possibility of becoming more involved then please contact Geoff Turnbull (Spokesperson), Navin Lamsal (Convenor) or one of the other Coordination Group members. We are happy to mentor people so they can take on roles in REDWatch be it in officers' positions or in helping in a particular areas of interest; establishing and running our website and social media etc.
As someone who cares about REDWatch, if you are unable to become more involved in REDWatch you can still actively talk to others about the importance of REDWatch and the value of community participation. Please talk to people you know who might be interested in what we do.
REDWatch Membership
While many people just get our email updates and come along to meetings that interest them, REDWatch is an Incorporated Not for Profit Association and has a membership. Membership fees are $2 a year and membership fees are now due. If you are not a member, or have let your membership lapse, now is a good time to consider being a member.
Full membership is open to those who live or work in Redfern, Eveleigh, Darlington and Waterloo and immediately adjoining suburbs. Outside this area people can support our work by becoming Associate Members. You will find a Membership Form<http://www.redwatch.org.au/redwatch/incorporation/membership/view> and the REDWatch Incorporated - Rules of Association<http://www.redwatch.org.au/redwatch/incorporation/rules/view> on our website in the REDWatch Incorporated & Membership<http://www.redwatch.org.au/redwatch/incorporation> section.
Completed membership forms can be emailed to mail at redwatch.org.au<mailto:mail at redwatch.org.au> , dropped in to Navin Lamsal at Counterpoint's Factory Community Centre or provided in person prior to the AGM. We can arrange for two members to sign if you can't find anyone! You can either drop in $2 with the form or pay it electronically directly into our bank account by EFT: Our Bank Account details are:
REDWatch Incorporated
Australian Mutual Bank BSB: 611-100
Account: 100222534
Please put your name in the information/reference field of an EFT so we know who you are.
If you have any payment difficulties, please email treasurer at redwatch.org.au<mailto:treasurer at redwatch.org.au>
Membership must be current to nominate for a position or vote and participate in the AGM. Please email your Nomination for Office-Bearer Position Form<http://www.redwatch.org.au/redwatch/incorporation/nom_office/view>  (and membership form if you are not yet a member) no later than the day before the AGM to mail at redwatch.org.au<mailto:mail at redwatch.org.au> to help us ensure a smooth AGM!

Regards,

Geoff
Geoffrey Turnbull
REDWatch Spokesperson
Ph Wk: (02) 8004 1490  Mob: 0418 457 392
email: spokesperson at redwatch.org.au<mailto:spokesperson at redwatch.org.au>
web: www.redwatch.org.au<http://www.redwatch.org.au/>
FB: www.facebook.com/RedfernEveleighDarlingtonWaterlooWatch/<http://www.facebook.com/RedfernEveleighDarlingtonWaterlooWatch/>

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