[North Eveleigh] Waterloo Redevelopment Meeting 5 June / Redevelopment Questions, Next Steps and Challenges / Redfern Place / Heritage / CIDs

Tue May 27 16:36:26 AEST 2025

Dear REDWatch members, supporters and agencies,

REDWatch Meeting on Homes NSW and the Consortium - 5th June

Waterloo Connect May Newsletter

Where do we start the Conversation with the Consortium?

The approved Planning Proposal

Stage 1 (concept) development application

Application and Scoping Report for Development Application

Studies will include a Social Impact Assessment

Community lead Health Impact Assessment (HIA)

Healthy Higher Density Living for Families with Children

Bridge Housing Redfern Place - 600-660 Elizabeth Street Response to Submissions

Draft Heritage Strategy for NSW - Until 13 July 2025

Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) on the way
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 on Homes NSW and the Consortium - 5th June
When the announcement of Homes NSW reaching agreement with The Stockland consortium was made back in early April, REDWatch issued an invitation to Homes NSW and the Consortium to present their plans to a REDWatch meeting on June 5th. So, to hear what they plan for Waterloo South, come along at 6pm on Thursday 5th June 2025 to Counterpoint's The Factory Community Centre, 67 Raglan Street, Waterloo or join us on line at by Zoom http://tinyurl.com/RedwatchMeetingZoom. You can promote this meeting with this flyer<http://www.redwatch.org.au/eventnotice/250605redwp>.
The Consortium is made up of Stockland<https://www.listcorp.com/asx/sgp/stockland/news/waterloo-renewal-project-3176260.html>, Link Wentworth Housing<https://www.linkwentworth.org.au/media-releases/nsw-government-confirms-stockland-consortium-as-delivery-partner-for-waterloo-renewal-project/>, City West Housing<https://citywesthousing.com.au/renewal-of-the-waterloo-south-estate/> and Birribee Housing<https://www.linkedin.com/posts/paul-coe-949723143_on-6-august-2024-i-sat-down-at-a-board-table-activity-7316030912880594944-c4SW?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAA0OtUYBpxp_z1nS6OcOEaohVt7X5qEXkeU>.
In preparation for the meeting REDWatch has collected questions from our members, tenants and agencies that they would like answered now that the community can talk with the consortium. These questions have been supplied to Homes NSW and the Consortium and you can see the questions on the REDWatch website as Initial Questions for Homes NSW Portfolio and Consortium Partners - Waterloo South Redevelopment May 2025<http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/lahc22-23/250523redw>. We have also provided background below on the next steps in the redevelopment and on some of the issues of concern.
Waterloo Connect May Newsletter
Homes NSW has distributed its May newsletter, which will be on the newsletters tab of the  Land and Housing Waterloo web page<https://www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/land-and-housing-corporation/greater-sydney/waterloo> or email WaterlooConnect at homes.nsw.gov.au<mailto:WaterlooConnect at homes.nsw.gov.au>. The Newsletter primarily focuses on the relocations that are underway.
What should planners, architects and development professionals learn from Redfern-Waterloo?
In early May REDWatch spokesperson Geoff Turnbull was asked to give a 5-minute input into the Australian Architecture Conference 2025 from a Redfern-Waterloo perspective. Below is his advice, which applies to the Consortium as they come into the area.
I am not an Architect; by training I am a Sociologist. For the last 20 years, as spokesperson for community group REDWatch, I have facilitated community voices around the redevelopment of Redfern Waterloo in NSW with architects, planners, consultants, developers and a conga line of bureaucrats tasked with fixing our area.
When we got our own Minister and Authority in 2004 the government owned one third of Redfern Waterloo. It took planning control over Redfern's Aboriginal heartland on The Block that was not government land, as well as the State Heritage Listed Eveleigh Railway Workshops, and other surplus government land. Also in its sights was most of our areas 4,311 public housing units and houses.
Here are a few things we have learnt from shaping public opinion that might help architects.
Understand the context and what has gone before
Before you turn up in a community do your homework on the community. REDWatch website holds a lot of this information for our area and is valued as a result. Look at reports from community centres, subscribe to email lists from local organisations. If there have been prior studies on the area then read them and read the submissions to understand people's concerns, don't rely on the sanitised "Response to Submissions" reports, people seldom find what they said there.
Aboriginal context is important in our area, as is their call for the delivery of practical outcomes like Aboriginal Affordable Housing.
Help Build Capacity to Participate
Building capacity is key to what we do and it is a two-way street. The community needs help to understand what is being proposed in planning speak and also what it can influence. The proponent and its consultants need help to understand the local context and to talk with the community.
We provide and support community-controlled sandpits to hear from proponents and allow people to articulate their concerns back to proponents. We bring in your own experts, like Peter Phibbs for workshops on Planning for Non-Planners, so tenants know more about planning and can better formulate their questions and submissions. It also helps them when they take their concerns to the media.
Think of the community as your client and be informed by them
For public housing redevelopments in particular, you have existing communities that need to be involved not just vacant industrial or green-field sites. People like the current tenants will be in your new buildings. Those communities have a lot of experience, local knowledge and expertise that you can draw upon. They also have aspirations for their community which you can help deliver.
Understand that social impacts matter and must be addressed
Public housing tenants want safe places where they can have peace and security in a housing of last resort system under strain. How does what you do as an architect deliver safety when it also depends on what happens with building and tenant management and the level of human service supports available to people with complex mental health, drug and alcohol, trauma and other complex issues?
Transparency matters
Treat all the players equally so everyone knows what is happening and is on an equal footing. REDWatch puts out the same information on our website and email lists to the Minister, the industry and to the community. For new developments the first public meeting we request is when the application for study requirements is submitted.
Know the players and stakeholders
Redevelopment is complex with lots of moving parts, and lots of places of intersection of interests for possible cooperation and influence not just in formal submissions. You need to get behind the project Comms team and build relations with key players even if that is on a Chatham House rules basis. You need to identify all the government, community and institutional stakeholders in the area and make sure they know what is happening.
Build Alliances of influence
We are not just about building capacity and trusting in submissions, we are there to build alliances and influence the process.
For example, as our sites are controlled by state government, we work closely with both Councillors and City of Sydney staff to keep them informed about what we know but also drawing on their expertise and their ability to lobby for what we want to see from Council, the state government and bureaucracy.
We have helped establish a Waterloo Human Services Collaborative of government and NGOs to work on the current people supports. This also helps put pressure on the redevelopment to take Health and Social impacts more seriously than they have in the past.
We have an alliance of state and local NGOs that have a stake in what is happening. We work also with researchers, journalists and academic and a wide range of other organisations.
Hopefully this brief overview gives you some ideas as to how architects can also shape and lead public opinion.
Source: Geoff Turnbull's contribution to Australian Architecture Conference 2025 panel on "Shaping Perspectives: How Architects Lead Public Opinion<https://conference.architecture.com.au/speaker/building-perspectives-how-architects-lead-public-opinion/>"
Where do we start the Conversation with the Consortium?
At the last Waterloo Redevelopment Group there was discussion about how we needed to go back and remind people where we are in the planning process given the 2.5 years gap since the planning proposal was approved. So below, in the lead up to the Consortium meeting, we thought this was a good opportunity for a bit of a Waterloo planning refresher.
The approved Planning Proposal
The starting point for the Consortium is the Approved Planning proposal which sets the Planning Controls that the Consortium need to address in its plan. You can see the outcome of that in summary form  at Waterloo South - Priority growth areas and precincts page<https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/plans-for-your-area/priority-growth-areas-and-precincts/waterloo-south> and with more detailed requirements in the final package of the Waterloo (South) Planning Page site<https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/ppr/finalisation/waterloo-estate-south>. The most recent documents are:

  *   Plan Finalisation Report<https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Keelie+Drupal+Documents/Plan+Finalisation+Report.pdf> - Departments final report that contains all below)
  *   Final Design Guide - Waterloo Estate (South)<https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Keelie+Drupal+Documents/Final+Design+Guide+-+Waterloo+Estate+(South).pdf> - The detailed design guide
  *   Attachment Maps - Final Maps<https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Keelie+Drupal+Documents/Attachment+Maps+-+Final+Maps.pdf> - The statutory maps
  *   Attachment A - Final planning proposal - Waterloo Estate (South)<https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Keelie+Drupal+Documents/Attachment+A+-+Final+planning+proposal+-+Waterloo+Estate+(South).PDF> - The final proposal
  *   Attachment C - Gateway determination - Waterloo Estate (South)<https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Keelie+Drupal+Documents/Attachment+C+-+Gateway+Determination+-+Waterloo+Estate+(South).PDF>
  *   Attachment C1 - Alteration of Gateway determination (28 January 2022)<https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Keelie+Drupal+Documents/Attachment+C1-+Alteration+of+Gateway+determination+(28+January+2022).PDF>
  *   Attachment C2 - Alteration of Gateway determination (7 July 2022)<https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Keelie+Drupal+Documents/Attachment+C2+-+Alteration+of+Gateway+determination+(7+July+2022).PDF>
  *   Attachment D - Submissions report (Keylan) - Waterloo<https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Keelie+Drupal+Documents/Attachment+D+-+Submissions+report+(Keylan)+-+Waterloo.PDF>
  *   Attachment E - PPA response to LAHC submission - Waterloo south<https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Keelie+Drupal+Documents/Attachment+E+-+PPA+response+to+LAHC+submission-+Waterloo+south.PDF>
  *   Attachment F - PPA response to Council submission - Waterloo south<https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Keelie+Drupal+Documents/Attachment+F+-+PPA+Response+to+Council+submission+-+Waterloo+south.PDF>
  *   Attachment G - Schedule of post-exhibition amendments<https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Keelie+Drupal+Documents/Attachment+G+-+Schedule+of+post-exhibition+amendments.PDF>
  *   Attachment H - Gateway Determination Report<https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Keelie+Drupal+Documents/Attachment+H+-+Gateway+Determination+Report.PDF>
  *   Attachment I - Overshadowing analysis (Hassell) - Waterloo Estate (South)<https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Keelie+Drupal+Documents/Attachment+I+-++Overshadowing+analysis+(Hassell)+-+Waterloo+Estate+(South).PDF>
  *   Attachment J - Revised addendum to urban design (Hassell) - Waterloo Estate (South)<https://shared-drupal-s3fs.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/master-test/fapub_pdf/Keelie+Drupal+Documents/Attachment+J+-+Revised+addendum+to+urban+design+(Hassell)+-+Waterloo+Estate+(South).PDF>
The first four of these are the most important and for non-planners start with the Final planning proposal and the Final Design Guide.
Stage 1 (concept) development application
The Planning Proposal references a Stage 1 (concept) development application as being the first Development Application (DA). That is not a DA for the first area to be developed, but rather a concept DA for the entire site. The consortium could submit a DA for the first area to be redeveloped at the same time as the Stage 1 (concept) DA.
The Design Guide sets out what the concept DA needs to cover:
4.2. Stage 1 development application
(1) A Stage 1 (concept) development application is required for land that is owned or managed by the Land and Housing Corporation within Waterloo Estate (South) as of 1 January 2021.
(2) A Stage 1 (concept) development application is to:
(a) be informed by a detailed survey;
(b) subdivide existing landholdings to establish:
i. streets, through-site links and parks, in accordance with Figure 4: Land dedication and easements; and
ii. street blocks and building lots, in accordance with Figure 3: Street blocks and building lots;
(c) identify how the floor area is to be distributed across street blocks and building lots, including any floor space allocated for social housing, affordable housing, community facilities, childcare facilities, health care facilities and other non-residential uses. This allocation is to be generally in accordance with Table 1: Indicative floor area distribution on LAHC owned land, by street block, which provides an indicative allocation of floor space available under Sydney LEP 2012 across Waterloo Estate (South);
(d) resolve any flooding and contamination issues on the site, identifying any necessary flood and stormwater management works and remediation works and required contamination works to ensure flood and contamination risks are appropriately managed for new development, adjacent sites within the Estate, and in adjoining localities;
(e) provide an indicative staging plan and delivery sequence for development and the provision of public space, local infrastructure, flood and stormwater management works and remediation works;
(f) provide an updated Design Excellence Strategy if needed, that is, if the proposed pattern of subdivision, staging or built form distribution does not follow that provided by this Design Guide;
(g) provide a Preliminary Public Art Strategy to coordinate public art across the precinct;
(h) include a landscape plan that:
i. allocates the total quantum of deep soil required for each street block amongst the building lots;
ii. identifies significant trees that are required to be conserved and those that are proposed to be removed;
(i) address any other matters, including wind and acoustic matters, required to be resolved in a Stage 1 development application by this Design Guide, by Sydney DCP 2012 or Sydney LEP 2012.
Application and Scoping Report for Development Application
The first step to obtaining a DA is for the developer to make an application, including a scoping report, to the Department of Planning for the Secretary's Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs). That application must:

  *   include a simple but accurate description of the project
  *   identify the relevant strategic and statutory context
  *   summarise the findings of any early community engagement and describe the engagement that will be carried out during the preparation of the EIS
  *   identify matters that require further assessment in the EIS and how they will be assessed
The department will publish the scoping report online and seek advice from key government agencies, including relevant councils, during the preparation of the SEARs. When issued the SEARs are also made public so people know what the developer has been asked to do.
The community normally becomes aware of the detail of the scoping report either because of early community engagement mentioned above or when the SEARs application is made public by the Department of Planning.
Studies will include a Social Impact Assessment
Due to changes in the Department of Planning study requirements, this project will require the first Social Impact Assessment<https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/assessment/policies-and-guidelines/social-impact-assessment> to be undertaken for the Waterloo redevelopment. You can see more about Social Impact Assessments in Look before you leap: A community guide to social impact assessment by Alison Ziller PhD February 2024<http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/Waterloo/lahc22-23/240214az/view>.
Community lead Health Impact Assessment (HIA)
Preparations are underway for a community lead Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in Waterloo. Part of the HIA will involve tenants being trained in doing a health impact assessment by people from the University of NSW, and supported in working on collecting information from the community. The model is like the Peer Navigators who have been active in Waterloo talking to people about health issues. If any tenant is interested in being involved, please contact Elle at Counterpoint's Factory ASAP or email her on info at counterpointcs.org.au<mailto:info at counterpointcs.org.au> to discuss the possibility. This project involves Counterpoint Community Services, Groundswell NGOs, the Waterloo Redevelopment Group and the UNSW Health Equity Research and Development Unit (HERDU). REDWatch is a member of Groundswell and attends Waterloo Redevelopment Group meetings.
REDWatch has also been involved in getting the 2019 HIA, Healthy Waterloo, in the public domain. Following feedback from Homes NSW and discussions with Sydney Local Health District and HERDU, the 2019 study will be made public by HERDU soon. The dated recommendations that were negotiated back in 2019 have been deleted, but the rest of the document and its literature review and data will now be in the public domain.
Healthy Higher Density Living for Families with Children
There have been several studies recently that highlight the problems families with children have in finding suitable family unit accommodation. Part of this is about there not being enough three-bedroom apartments, but it is also about the non-bedroom apartment size, amenities provided by developments and how they fit into the surrounding community.
In partnership with City of Parramatta, the Centre for Population Health's Health Promotion Team in Western Sydney Local Health District has been exploring the health impacts of living in high density housing<https://www.wslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/population-health/programs-services/places/shaping-healthy-places-spaces/healthy-housing/healthy-housing>, with a focus on families with young children. Their research has lead to the production of a Healthy Higher Density Living for Families with Children: An Advocacy, Planning and Design Guide<https://www.wslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/14402/240826%20Final%20HHD%20Guide.pdf.aspx>. This guide is being picked up by councils and it would be good to explore how the guide might also be applied to Waterloo to deliver more family friendly homes into the mix.
One drawback for the Waterloo redevelopment might be that the guide suggests the need for more larger units. This might create a problem for Homes NSW and Stockland who will have calculated the number of units they can deliver based on the Planning Proposal which may not have factored in as many three-bedroom units and larger family units as proposed in the guide.
Even so, if the redevelopment is to deliver a successful high-density precinct, then there needs to be a mix of people and units including housing that works for families with children.
Bridge Housing Redfern Place - 600-660 Elizabeth Street Response to Submissions
At the end of April the Department of Planning released the Bridge Housing Response to Submissions Report<https://majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/prweb/PRRestService/mp/01/getContent?AttachRef=EXH-77435706%2120250501T033038.882%20GMT> for its Redfern Place redevelopment including the PCYC. The report identifies what Bridge heard from the submissions and how it has responded to the submissions. Several changes have been made because of the submissions. It is now up to the Department of Planning to determine if it is happy with the changes or if more is required before it issues its determination and approval. You can see all the appendices to the response on the projects planning portal page<https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/600-660-elizabeth-street-redfern-mixed-use>.
Draft Heritage Strategy for NSW - Until 13 July 2025
With the former Eveleigh Railway Workshops, state and local heritage items and Heritage Conservation Areas in the REDWatch area, some in our network are likely to be interested in the draft Heritage Strategy for NSW<https://hdp-au-prod-app-nsw-haveyoursay-files.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/4617/4726/2532/draft-nsw-heritage-strategy-250159.pdf> which is on exhibition until Sunday 13 July 2025. You can find out more, take a survey, make suggestions or a submission at www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/nsw-heritage-strategy<http://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/nsw-heritage-strategy>.
When input was sought on the draft, The National Trust did a lot of work with the sector around the issues that needed to be addressed. It is early in the exhibition and we have not yet seen anything setting out concerns from heritage groups, but watch that space for any concerns.
Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) on the way
The rebranding of Business Improvement Districts as Community Improvement Districts under Transport for NSW<https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/community-improvement-districts-new-south-wales> have raised concerns with community groups and councils for different reasons in the lead up to legislation. But CIDs are now on the way with the passing and assent of the Community Improvement Districts Bill 2025<https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/bills/Pages/bill-details.aspx?pk=18718>.
Transport for NSW is now developing the Regulations that operationalise key provisions of the Act and will undertake further stakeholder engagement on these Regulations to seek input. If you have any questions, contact communityimprovementdistricts at transport.nsw.gov.au<mailto:communityimprovementdistricts at transport.nsw.gov.au>.
Wendy Bacon wrote a 2-part article for City Hub on the issues around Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) in Sydney, which explain some of the concerns. You can Wendy's article here:

  *   Part One<https://cityhub.com.au/councillors-concerned-about-funding-waterfront-company-with-star-casino-links/> - Councillors concerned about funding Waterfront company with Star casino links
  *   Part Two<https://cityhub.com.au/no-community-vote-in-community-improvement-districts/> - No community vote in Community Improvement Districts.
REDWatch has not been able to look at what changes may have been made in the final legislation in response to earlier community and Council concerns.

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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