[North Eveleigh] Metro OSD Changes Meeting / Election Survey / Waterloo Relocations / Planning Limbo / High-Rise Refurbishment / Homes NSW Sydney District Changes

Wed Mar 19 11:55:48 AEDT 2025

Dear REDWatch members, supporters and agencies,

REDWatch Meeting - 27 March - Waterloo Metro's new plans

Federal Election Sydney Forum - What are your issues?

Independent Support for Relocations

REDWatch Statement on the Redevelopment post Relocations

Public Housing land in Redfern Waterloo planning limbo

Retain Repair Reinvest BBQ on Waterloo high-rise refurbishment as an alternative to redevelopment - 5th April 12-2pm Waterloo Green

Changes coming in Homes NSW Sydney District Housing Services
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 Meeting - 27 March - Waterloo Metro's new plans
This REDWatch meeting will be held at 6 pm on Thursday 27th March 2025 at Counterpoint's The Factory Community Centre, 67 Raglan Street, Waterloo. For those who cannot join the discussion in person you can also join by Zoom http://tinyurl.com/RedwatchMeetingZoom<https://tinyurl.com/RedwatchMeetingZoom?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2jXy00rj4ZTmS8E61qnfLi-wRpfLEZi1QxIj7mqxCB1vlCXv4lfh5n55M_aem_Mhg8NRatO8ipMKcT3ZfuAg>.
REDWatch has had to move its April meeting forward a week so we can get the relevant people from Mirvac / John Holland to present on their new plans for the Waterloo Metro Over-Station Development. These plans will increase overshadowing over the Waterloo Park to the east of the Metro.
At the time of the initial plans for the Metro site the developers could treat the area east of Cope Street as residential, but since the Waterloo South rezoning this site should now need to be treated as public open space and assessed accordingly.
You can see the Waterloo Second Amending Concept DA_Scoping_Dec24<https://majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/prweb/PRRestService/mp/01/getContent?AttachRef=PDA-79199719%2120250113T045326.715%20GMT> request on the Planning Portal<https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/search?combine=Waterloo+Metro+Quarter>. The Department of Planning has now issued its study requirements (SEARs) which includes the requirement to: Provide a solar access analysis of the overshadowing impacts of the development within the site, on surrounding properties and public spaces (during summer and winter solstice and spring and autumn equinox) at hourly intervals between 9am and 3pm, when compared to the existing situation and a compliant development (if relevant).
We understand the City Council staff also shares our concern about increased overshadowing of the new public space.
You can see a summary of the changes and the changes in building envelopes proposed on this REDWatch Facebook page<https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EhEqFsKgx/> and the flyer to promote the meeting here<https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1051788846977976&set=a.460968159393384%20.>.
There will be no REDWatch meeting on Thursday 3rd April.
Federal Election Sydney Forum - What are your issues?
Tell us now what matters to you and your community for the 2025 Federal Election Seat of Sydney. REDWatch, ARAG and FOE plan to organise after the election is called and we use a survey to find out what issues are of top concern to our residents. We then ask candidates at the forum to address the top three issues. This is followed by Q&As from the floor.
So visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LF3Y2ZJ<https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LF3Y2ZJ?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR384wYia7vLA2vB6vbS6rm7hihMfhRGydggt9NLKyfjRc0ut4YecSBsGHE_aem_NwSXvdpfz2HQPGdpiRI59A> to choose the key issues you wish the candidates to address in the 2025 Federal Election Seat of Sydney Candidates Forum. You can also promote the survey by sharing our Facebook post<https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1050952490394945&set=a.460968159393384> with QR code.
Independent Support for Relocations
At the REDWatch 6 March 2025 meeting, we had Homes NSW and support NGOs presenting following the Stage 1 Waterloo South relocations announcements - you can see a video from that meeting on REDWatch YouTube at https://youtu.be/8M-Xuf1i2Pg
One of the things emphasised was the importance of having a support person present with you during your relocation interview. These interviews are important as they determine what you will be offered during the relocation. It is hence important that your needs current and expected are properly recorded. Waterloo South tenants are already reporting there are some traps for the unwary.
Homes NSW has funded Redfern Legal Centre as the Independent Tenant Advocate to support tenants who are relocating from Waterloo South. Support from this Advocate will be available upon tenants' requests. The Advocate will work directly with any tenant who has received a relocation notice. Information provided by any tenant to the Advocate will be strictly confidential and will not be shared with the relocation team or support providers without tenants' consent.
The City of Sydney has funded three NGOs Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation, Counterpoint Community Services and Redfern Legal Service for the next three years to provide independent support for tenants. While each of these services only receive $50,000 a year, this can help expand on the existing services they already provide to the community.
The contacts for each of the independent supporting agencies are:

  *   Redfern Legal Service (02) 9698 5975 info at rlc.org.au<mailto:info at rlc.org.au>
  *   Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation (02) 9051 1690 office at kbhac.org.au<mailto:office at kbhac.org.au>
  *   Counterpoint Community Services (02) 9698 96569 info at counterpointcs.org.au<mailto:info at counterpointcs.org.au>
REDWatch remains concerned that there has been no social work / case management support been built into the Homes NSW relocation plan, and as a result, this kind of support will fall back on to an already stretched human services system.
REDWatch Statement on the Redevelopment post Relocations
With the start of relocations REDWatch has been asked where we stand as a group regarding the Waterloo Redevelopment. Below is a statement, agreed by the REDWatch Coordination Group, on our current position regarding the Waterloo redevelopment.
The long process of redeveloping estates is not a timely solution to the growing waiting lists for social and affordable housing. It relocates tenants into homes that could be used to lessen the waiting list in the short term and delivers only marginal increases in social housing in the long term. It does renew housing stock over time, as would refurbishment. There are better and quicker ways of providing much-needed public, social and affordable housing, especially for those on the waiting list. These include building on surplus government land and increased government funding to maximise non-market housing in new developments.
REDWatch recognises that the NSW Government has committed itself to redeveloping Waterloo Estate, is negotiating with a consortium and has started relocations. Given this, REDWatch will continue to press for the best possible outcomes from this redevelopment for future non-market housing supply, existing tenants and those on the waiting list.
REDWatch welcomes the formation of Homes NSW and the investment by the state government in delivering more social housing homes. REDWatch also welcomes Homes NSW putting the tenant voice at the heart of what it does, including notifying tenants before the media about changes impacting them. The new Homes NSW is a large organisation and it will take time for change to work its way through the new agency.
>From the beginning, REDWatch stated it could only support the redevelopment if it were accompanied by a robust human service plan to address the unmet current human services needs of tenants, as well as the additional needs resulting from the decision to redevelop and relocate.
After a good start to putting together a human services plan for current issues under the Waterloo Collaborative, implementation is currently stalled. Uncertainty, relocations and construction put extra pressure on the existing inadequate support system for Waterloo. There is currently no agreed collaborative-based plan for dealing with these increased human service pressures.
REDWatch continues to be unable to support the current redevelopment until a robust integrated human services plan is in place and being implemented to support tenants.
In line with our association's objects, these REDWatch Updates and the REDWatch website will continue to carry a range of views expressed by tenants, organisations and NGOs about the development and its issues which may differ from REDWatch's own position.
Public Housing land in Redfern Waterloo planning limbo
Currently Council is bringing a number of formally state significant sites into the Sydney planning controls Local Environment Plan (LEP)<https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/policy-planning-changes/your-say-updates-planning-controls-related-greening-amenity-parking-design-excellence>. Some of these sites are old Redfern Waterloo Authority (RWA) sites previously removed from Council, so REDWatch has made a submission on some issues identified with these sites coming back to Council in REDWatch submission on amendments to Sydney LEP and Sydney DCP including return of some RWA areas.<http://www.redwatch.org.au/govt/cos/250314redw/view>
One issue REDWatch is concerned about is that, surprisingly, areas in Redfern Estate along with North and Central Waterloo are not among the changes being proposed. After some houses along Gardeners Road are bought back into the Sydney LEP 2012 only the Redfern and Waterloo public housing sites will remain in the old South Sydney LEP 1988.
You can see these areas in green marked 2 in this map about what planning controls apply where<https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/development-applications/determine-which-planning-controls-apply>. The grey areas are different areas removed from the Council's Controls. It appears that the state government does not want these public housing sites in the Sydney LEP until they too are rezoned for redevelopment. In Waterloo North and Central that may not be for another 5-10 years. After rezoning Waterloo South was added to the Sydney LEP, but there are currently no public plans for Redfern Estate.
The old RWA in its first Built Environment Plan (BEP1) took control of parts of Redfern and Eveleigh removing them from the control of Council and created independent State Significant planning controls. These are some of the grey areas on the map mentioned earlier - some of which are slowly coming back into the Sydney LEP after redevelopment.
In 2010 and 2011 the RWA did its Built Environment Plan 2 (BEP2), while NSW Land and Housing Corporation did a separate masterplan for redeveloping both Redfern and Waterloo public housing estates. These competing plans took some time to die through lack of agreement between two different government bodies. Apparently when the Sydney LEP 2012 was being put together the state government wanted to keep its options open so it refused to allow these sites to come into the Sydney LEP2012 while it waited for a decision on the future of the sites.
The City of Sydney or the Central Sydney Planning Committee is the consent authority for development other than state significant development under the South Sydney LEP, so it is strange that the NSW Government will not let these sites be transferred to the Sydney 2012 LEP, given the state government has the power to over-ride them wherever they are, as we saw with Waterloo South.
REDWatch is keen to find out why the NSW Government is not transferring these sites. REDWatch has raised the issue with Council staff and has asked Jenny Leong, the local state member covering Redfern, to see if she can get some clarification. We will let you know when we receive more information.
Retain Repair Reinvest BBQ on Waterloo high-rise refurbishment as an alternative to redevelopment - 5th April 12-2pm Waterloo Green
OFFICE is holding a community BBQ to listen to residents opinions about what they would like to see for the future of Waterloo North and Central. OFFICE is undertaking a project called Retain Repair Reinvest (RRR) - a community-informed feasibility study that looks at the viability of refurbishment as an alternative to redevelopment.
The aims of Retain Repair Reinvest are:

  *   Retain existing communities by not relocating residents,
  *   Repair existing buildings to reduce carbon emissions,
  *   Reinvest savings to improve comfort and upgrade public housing.
Join OFFICE at the community BBQ on April 5th to see the draft RRR proposal for Waterloo North and Central and tell them what you think!
OFFICE is a not-for-profit architecture and design firm. As a registered charity, its operations, processes and outputs are bound by a constitution to make projects for the public good. Feel free to contact it: hello at OFFICE.org.au
The RRR project is independent from Homes NSW and separate to the redevelopment plans for Waterloo South. According to Homes NSW, residents living in Waterloo North and Central (the high-rise buildings) will not be relocated for at least 10 years. If you have questions about the Waterloo South redevelopment, you can contact Homes NSW Waterloo Renewal team via 02 9384 4134, WaterlooConnect at homes.nsw.gov.au<mailto:WaterlooConnect at homes.nsw.gov.au> or the Waterloo Connect Office, Shop 2, 95 Wellington Street.
Changes coming in Homes NSW Sydney District Housing Services
At the Lord Mayor's meeting for Redfern Social Housing Forum on 13 March 2025, the Homes NSW District Director Housing Services, Kylie Willis, announced major changes for the structure of Housing Services will come into effect on 7 April 2025.
The meeting was told that the new Sydney District, which covers a little more than the Sydney LGA, will aim to decrease the number of tenants covered by each client service officer to 250 from its current 350-400. The new Sydney district will start with an interim Director for about three months while external recruitment is finalised. Margaret Macrae was announced as the Manager Housing Services for Redfern and Waterloo. She has continued to be responsible for RedLink while managing housing in the South East area.
The rest of the old Sydney District will become a new district which will not be overshadowed by inner Sydney public housing issues as it has been in the past.

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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