Glebe Grapevine Launch – issue no 3

You heard it here!

Issue 3, July-August 2013

 

You are invited to  our

LAUNCH

 

Saturday 17 August            2 — 4pm

The Old Fire Station, 115 Mitchell Street, Glebe

We will be joined by Jack and Judy Mundey
and Jamie Parker MP

LAUNCH of 50 Ways to Keep Your Fence Up

The Hands off Glebe campaign song and YouTube film which challenges Housing NSW’s widespread and shameful neglect of public housing in Glebe

LAUNCH of the Glebe Grapevine

The Hands off Glebe newsletter speaking from and for our community

savoury and sweet nibbles; tea and coffee provided

Developers in Clover

Hands off Glebe and the Glebe Society united in opposition to the Cowper Street and Bay Street development proposals considered on July 22 and 25 by Sydney Council and the Central Sydney Planning Committee.

In Cowper Street Housing NSW proposes to construct 500 residential units on the 1.5 hectare site which has been a wasteland since 134 units were bulldozed two years ago. Half of the new units will be on land the NSW Government intends to sell off to developers.

There was not a single submission made to Council in support of either application. Many residents spoke about the loss of sunlight, parking and open space and the increased traffic which will result from this overdevelopment. The proposal does not come within a bull’s roar of complying with planning controls.

Residents who have been heariong for years how their concerns about the Cowper Street development will be addressed at a later time were surprised to hear Councillor Mant, one of Clover Moore’s team, say he did not think much of the proposal but it was too late to change it now.

The Affordable Housing Con

On the corner of Bay Street and Wentworth Park Road, developers are pushing for new rules that would allow them to build a 10 storey building, 33 metres high, which would have some commercial and 200 residential units. It will reduce sunlight to the Cowper Street site. This is another example of massive overdevelopment in Glebe.

The developers are promising that in return they will provide about 15 affordable units.  These will be sold to an affordable housing provider. However, the planning agreement will not prevent these affordable units from being sold into the private market in the future. Some Councillors expressed doubt about the benefit to the community of this development at the Monday meeting.

Despite strong community opposition, at the meeting of the Central Sydney Planning Committee, a state government body with powers to approve developments worth over $150 million, both State and Clover Moore team representatives approved the Cowper Street development.

More Public Housing Needed

The lack of affordable housing is a failure of government to manage and improce $31.9 billion worth of housing stock, as the NSW Auditor-General’s rport released on 30 July 2013 makes clear:

• The number of new tenancies created each year has halved compared to ten years ago;
• Public housing stock fell by 7 per cent to 119,000 dwellings over the last ten years;
• Public housing meets only 44 per cent of what is needed and to maintain this level will require an additional 2,500 new homes each year;
• There are more tenants living in overcrowded conditions than in under occupied buildings;
• 8,000 tenants are waiting to be moved;
• Between 2003 and 2012 the NSW Government sold 5,500 dwellings for $1.2 billion. Recommendations made following a 2006 ICAC inmquiry into corrupt practices in the sale of properties have not been implemented;
• Annual spending on maintenance has fallen over the last decade. The Glebe Grapevine  calls this ‘demolition by neglect’ and, together with the community, we will fight it!

 

One fence at a time

Following the Glebe Grapevine  story “De-fenceless in Glebe”, Housing NSW has fixed the fallen fence featured in that article. Several more fences have also been fixed. However, there are still many fences needing to be repaired.

 

Fence all new and repaired!

Broughton Lane dries up

After 12 years of inaction by Sydney Water and Housing NSW a water leak in Broughton Lane has finally been fixed. Thank you Julie and Denis from the Glebe Grapevine!

With the water running

Dried up after action by GG