Parramatta Road Urban Renewal
UrbanGrowth NSW
PO Box 237
PARRAMATTA NSW 2124
Submission: Draft Parramatta Road Urban Transformation Strategy
I write to strongly object to your proposals to over-develop our local community. The Draft Parramatta Road Urban Transformation Strategy seeks to increase the amount of housing from 736 homes to 6,014 in the three Inner West precincts of Taverners Hill, Leichhardt and Camperdown. This will produce close to a tenfold increase in population from 1,515 to almost 11,000.
This is an unnecessary and overwhelming imposition on the local community. It will make public transport less accessible, overwhelm local services and destroy what is special about our community.
The Inner West is already exceeding new housing requirements. Leichhardt Council, as an example, has a target set by the government’s Sydney Metropolitan Plan to deliver 2,400 new homes between 2005 and 2036. The Leichhardt Council area will have almost 1,800 new dwellings by the end of this year, already meeting its 2030 target which is 15 years ahead of schedule! The 2036 target will be easily met without imposing more than 5,500 new dwellings.
The draft strategy says more about the influence of the powerful developer lobby pushing for new development sites than proper strategic planning for a more liveable city.
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Showing 113 reactions
Whilst everyone appreciates that Sydney is an international city, at the end of the day Sydney (and Australia for that matter) prides itself on having a “laid back culture”. No one wants overcrowding, more traffic congestion, people encroaching on their personal space nor do they want to be surrounded by multi-storey high density apartments which lack privacy. Seriously, get real Mike Baird! I’m certain none of the politicians would want it in their communities, so why impose it on others?
The inner west is a buzzing area, rich with coffee, culture and community spirit. The moment you turn it into a high density area and over-develop, you lose that sense of community. The inner west culture is an integral part of the Sydney culture – why does the Government want to change this?
Yes Parramatta Road needs revitalisation but realistically, how will it be revitalised if it is flooded with more people and more traffic? There needs to be a balance between developing for the future but maintaining the history and culture of the inner west. It is not just about money and economic growth and the Government needs to stop favouring the developers who are just out there to make a quick buck and the expense of people’s lives, homes and communities.
What is ideal is a light public transport system to and from the CBD replacing buses and connected westward into Leichardt, Ashfield and Strathfield. What we need is a revitalisation of the precinct with refurbished/retrofitted buildings so Parramatta Road is brought up to the 21st Century with safe open pedestrian malls / footpaths all manner of shops, cafes, bars, restaurants including a life-style cum shopping centre complete with mix cuisine food centre and cheap parking that’s open late into the night, every night.
All new developments must include provision of weatherproof access and connection to public transport like a light rail system to and from the CBD. If Singapore and Hong Kong can do this, why can’t Sydney?
Pedestrian and cycle ways must be separated from roads because of the air pollution caused by motor vehicles, the effect of the air pollution on respiratory health and safety of cyclists. The documents speaks of “cyclists feeling safe.” The health effects of air pollution from motor vehicles are not a feeling. The health effects are real and shown to be so by scientific evidence.
The draft proposed much greater population densities on a major road thoroughfare. This proposal ignores the scientific evidence of the effect of air pollution from motor vehicles on the health of those people living nearby. 21st Century planning demands that the health effects of motor vehicle emissions must be addressed by appropriate controls. The current failure of the Federal Government to introduce first world emission standards means that planning for new residential areas must take seriously health effects of vehicle emissions. The current draft fails to mention any consideration of the scientific evidence of health effects caused by motor vehicle emissions. The document must be revised and details outlined on how the health of future residents will be protected.
Show me the plans to improve all these amenities and services before you attempt to inflict more over-development on my community.
Many of the existing buildings in the corridor have already been restored and upgraded. They provide a great model for further infill and conversions.
This avoids major and destructive demolition and waste disposal. And better still avoids the building of repetitious blocks of six and eight storeys all reduced to the same lower development standards with minimal amenity.
They will “transform” our local areas but not in a good way, and may ruin, not “revitalise”, them. The obvious propaganda associated with these policies casts doubt on their integrity and practicality.