Decision details

Moved by Councillor Ellsmore, seconded by Councillor Scott –

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         the Franklyn Street complex is located between Franklyn, Glebe and Bay Streets in the inner Sydney suburb of Glebe. It is over 1.3 hectares in area and is situated within the Mountain Street Heritage Conservation Area. The collection of mid-rise flats includes common gardens and multi-room apartments. It is home to approximately 100 public housing tenants;

(ii)        the NSW Government has announced its intention to demolish Franklyn Street, and replace the existing public housing with 70 per cent private housing and 30 per cent social housing (also known as the ‘Communities Plus’ model). Tenants, public housing advocates and the Glebe community have been working to protect the housing, the public land and the community that lives there;

(iii)      on 22 February 2023, public housing tenants and community resident action group Hands off Glebe - with the support of The Glebe Society - launched the ‘Franklyn Report’ at Sydney Town Hall;

(iv)      the Franklyn Report rejects the NSW Government’s demolition and redevelopment plan, calling instead for maintenance, renovation and reuse of the solid brick flats on the site;

(v)       the NSW State Government has imposed a funding restraint on the body that manages public housing homes – Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) – whereby it is required to raise funds to maintain or build new public housing by privatising or redeveloping public housing sites. This is purported to be the main reason behind redeveloping public housing estates like Franklyn Street;

(vi)      the report outlines how the NSW Government’s proposal for the site would result in adverse outcomes for the community, the environment, heritage and the government’s own stated policy aim of increasing public housing. Similar to other Communities Plus projects across NSW, the Franklyn Street redevelopment would actually reduce the number of public housing places by reducing the total number of bedrooms;

(vii)     this report outlines that the NSW Government’s plans involve:

                            (a)        the eviction and forced relocation of long-term residents who have lived in the complex for many years;

                            (b)        an unacceptably high cost of taxpayers’ money;

                            (c)        the privatisation of public land;

                            (d)        the demolition of sound and attractive public housing; and

                            (e)        few new homes and reduced bedrooms, which would not address the waiting list for public housing which is currently more than 10 years in Glebe; and

(viii)    to effectively address the chronic housing affordability challenges across the City of Sydney and NSW, all levels of government need to address the provision of housing as critical infrastructure; accompanied by policies that adequately resource and fund its provision to ensure everyone has a safe, secure and affordable home;

(B)      Council congratulate Hands off Glebe and the Glebe Society for publishing the Franklyn Report, highlighting the inequalities of current government policy, and facilitating a platform for public housing tenants to have a voice; and

(C)      Council recognise the courage, endurance and strong social bonds of public housing residents residing in the Franklyn Street public housing complex.

Carried unanimously.

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