Decision details

Moved by Councillor Phelps, seconded by Councillor Vithoulkas -

It is resolved that Council:

(A)      note the hard work of community organisations, including REDWatch, Inner Sydney Voice, Counterpoint and the Alexandria Residents' Action Group, who have raised local concerns about inadequate consultation around the Metro Quarter Project, particularly regarding the recent decision to ‘decouple’ the Waterloo Estate and Metro Quarter projects;

(B)      note that representatives of UrbanGrowth NSW told a public meeting on Wednesday 13 June 2018 that “Council has been consulted and is happy with the development proposal”;

(C)      note the community concern about the decoupling of the Metro Quarter Project from the Waterloo Estate Redevelopment, particularly that this will prevent whole-of-area planning required for a cohesive future community;

(D)      prepare a submission to UrbanGrowth NSW objecting to the bulk and scale of the proposed Over Station Development without concurrent consideration of the Waterloo Estate redevelopment;

(E)      write to the Minister for Planning to extend from 30 to 60 the minimum number of days that the State Significant Precinct – Waterloo masterplan must be on public exhibition;

(F)      note the lack of transparency about upcoming proposed amendments to the State Environmental Planning Policy (State Significant Precincts) 2005, which will result in changes to zoning, maximum building height, floor space ratio (FSR), heritage, lot size, active street frontage, design excellence provisions and any other provisions needed to achieve the intended planning outcomes; and

Note – the above motion was not carried. The resolution as follows was carried.

It is resolved that Council:

(A)      note the hard work of community organisations, including REDWatch, Inner Sydney Voice, Counterpoint and the Alexandria Residents' Action Group, and individuals who have raised local concerns about the previous redevelopment proposals for Waterloo Estate and the recently released Metro Quarter Project concept plans, particularly regarding the approach to ‘decouple’ the Waterloo Estate and Metro Quarter projects;

(B)      note that representatives of UrbanGrowth NSW inaccurately told a public meeting, on Wednesday 13 June 2018, words to the effect that “Council has been consulted and is happy with the development proposal”;

(C)      note that the recent community consultation conducted by UrbanGrowth NSW was a period of non-statutory engagement prior to the lodgement of a future application with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, which was for information only, provided little detail and is subject to change with no statutory purpose or effect;

(D)      note that, when the State Significant Development Application and State Significant Precinct - Waterloo Metro Quarter Studies are submitted and a formal, statutory exhibition of the preferred plan for the Waterloo Metro Quarter is authorised by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, Council will prepare a submission;

(E)      note that the exhibition period for the State Significant Development Application and State Significant Precinct - Waterloo Metro Quarter Studies has not been determined, although on the UrbanGrowth NSW website it notes an intention to formally lodge the preferred plan in August 2018; and

(F)      note that, since 2015, when UrbanGrowth NSW first released the Central to Eveleigh Transformation Strategy, the City has advocated strongly as to the importance of transparent and inclusive engagement with the community that informs and influences the future of this urban renewal area.

Carried.

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