The City of Sydney has slammed the NSW Government’s plan to triple the number of dwellings in Waterloo and has called a meeting to discuss the suburb’s future.
A meeting at Alexandria Town Hall on Wednesday 6 March will give residents and business-owners the chance to share ideas about the future of Waterloo.
The City of Sydney is calling for a proposal that addresses population growth while still considering the needs of current and future residents.
“The NSW Government’s concept plans for Waterloo are a gross overdevelopment, unprecedented in Australia,” says lord mayor Clover Moore.
“We’re holding this public meeting because people who live in Waterloo are telling us that they want to live their lives in a community, not a state government experiment in overdevelopment.
“The NSW Government’s proposal is little more than a glossy brochure and a press release. It provides few details, and the artist’s impressions obscure the terrible outcomes this plan will produce for the public.”
According to Moore, Sydney’s open space and parks will be shadowed by multiple towers up to 40 storeys high, and of the 4,788 new dwellings proposed for Waterloo Estate, there will only be 28 extra homes for social housing tenants.
“The State Government’s planning experiment will negatively impact on the lives of our most marginalised residents, and trample on the rich history of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the area.”
The City of Sydney is also concerned that the State Government has not considered the cumulative impact of other state-led developments nearby, such as the Waterloo Metro Quarter development. Located next to Waterloo Estate, it is planned to add another 700 apartments to the precinct, with heights of up to 29 storeys. Of these dwellings, only 70 will be dedicated to social housing and as few as 35 will be affordable rental housing.
Other concerns include the fact that around 4,300 extra vehicles will be added to what is already a dense and congested area.
“Residents in Waterloo are telling me they are deeply distressed and concerned,” says Moore.
“The government’s so-called community ‘consultation’ has lacked any proper detail and ignored the impacts.”
The public meeting will take place from 6pm to 7.30pm on Wednesday 6 March, at Alexandria Town Hall, 73 Garden Street, Alexandria.
Feature image: An artist's impression of high-rise towers planned for Waterloo. Image credit: UrbanGrowth NSW
