This page of our website reports on the current progress of the Pemulwuy Project, (the redevelopment project the AHC is proposing for its properties in Redfern, aka the Block).
The Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC) has considered the option of redeveloping its properties in Redfern (the Block) since about 1987. In the early 1980's a few of the terraces occupied by Aboriginal families on the Block were renovated in an attempt to improve social conditions for residents. However, these efforts were seriously undermined by the onset of drugs. Government complacency over the next twenty years in relation to law and order and housing issues in Redfern left the AHC's property management service severally under-resourced and unassisted in its response to the spiraling crisis. Systemic government neglect has caused severe social problems and ghetto conditions in the neighbourhood, directly related to the unabated and unchallenged drugs and organised crime. In hindsight simply renovating the derelict houses was just a band-aid solution even in those early days.
Motivated by the continued distress and social disadvantage experienced by residents on the Block, the AHC members and the executive took the difficult decision to demolish the existing structures in preparation for redevelopment, with the aim to replace all the old derelict terraces on the Block with new state of the art affordable houses for Aboriginal families
PEMULWUY
PROJECT PROFILE:
The
Pemulwuy Project Profile can be downloaded in PDF form using this link.
OUR VISION:
Our vision is not to simply replace the buildings on the Block but to restore a strong and healthy Indigenous community to Redfern with an emphasis on cultural values, spirituality and employment through tourism. At the end of this process of rebirth we envisage a result that all Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians will be proud of. Our aim is to make this the best urban Aboriginal community in Australia, and in doing so set the benchmark for all other communities.
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CURRENT EVENTS
Pemulwuy Project Concept
Master Plan
The Department of Planning
& Part 3A
The Application Process
What's next to be done?
RWA Built Environment Plan
Funding the Project
Construction
Cracknell and Lonergan
Pemulwuy Project Concept
Master Plan:
After discussions with the
Dept of Planning the AHC has decided to submit a Concept Master Plan for the
whole of the site, and then subsequent Project Applications for specific sites,
delivering the Pemulwuy Project as a staged development.
Stage A - Residential multi-unit housing development located on the land bound by Eveleigh St, Vine St, Louis St, and Caroline St.
Stage B - Health and Fitness Centre on Caroline St + Elder's spiritual place on Vine St.
Stage C - Commercial and Retail development on the corner of Lawson St and Eveleigh St.
Stage D - Hostel and Health Care Facility on Caroline St.
Stage E - Art gallery (along railway side to the southern end of Eveleigh St).
Stage F - Commercial development (along the railway side of Eveleigh St).
The Concept Plan will be submitted under Section 75M of Part 3A of the EP&A Act, and will describe a mixed-use development including commercial/community uses and family homes consistent with the stated aims and vision of the Redfern Waterloo area described in the Redfern Waterloo Built Environment Plan.
Latest Draft of Pemulwuy Project Concept Plan - Nov 2006
The Department of
Planning & Part 3A:
It has been determined by the
NSW Minister for Planning that the Pemulwuy Project is a major project under
part 3A of Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 (Act) and that
the RWA is not the consent authority as projects over $5 million fall within
the jurisdiction of the NSW Department of Planning. As Frank Sartor is the
Minister for Planning as well as the Minister for Redfern Waterloo he still
has the final say when it comes to redevelopment consent for the Pemulwuy
Project.
Under Section 75R of the Act environmental planning instruments do not apply to the assessment of major projects except for State Environmental Planning Policies to the extent that they designate development as a major project, all other requirements for assessment are determined by the Director General of Planning. To obtain the Director General's Requirements for the Pemulwuy project the AHC first had to follow a lengthy application process, including the preparation and lodgement of a project description report indicating the nature of the project presenting a broad range of options and possibilities for the AHC's land and the immediate precinct.
The Application Process:
The AHC spent much of 2006
trying to determine the planning requirements for the Pemulwuy project. For
the most part the 3A provisions under the EP&A Act are new ground for
even the Department of Planning. Consequently, determining what development
application process and planning controls the Pemulwuy project should follow
has been a rather convoluted and complicated process. During this period the
AHC has received some confusing advice from the Department of Planning as
to the application process and has been subject to two drafts of the Redfern
Waterloo Built Environment Plan and the State Environment Planning Policy.
9th February 06: RWA releases
Draft Redfern Waterloo Plan which proposes halving the Residential Floor Space
allowed over AHC Land.
29th February 06: The AHC lodged a request to the Director General
of Planning for the Minister's opinion under Clause 6 of the Major Projects
SEPP, which began the application lodgment process with the Department of
Planning.
24th March 06: The AHC received a reply from the Director General confirming that the AHC could begin the application process to seek development approval for the Pemulwuy project.
7th April 06: Submissions closed on the draft Redfern Waterloo Built Environment Plan and the State Environmental Planning Policy. The AHC objected to the reduced residential FSR and other areas of the proposed Plans. Richard Smyth (former Director General of Planning in NSW) and John Mant (prominent Planner and Lawyer) produced a strong submission for the AHC.
Smyth
- Mant Objections to the SEPP & RW Built Environment Plan
Michael
Mundine Objection to the SEPP & RW Built Environment Plan
24th April 06: The AHC submitted
its first draft of the Project Description report consistent with the draft
State Environmental Plan Policy & draft Redfern Waterloo Built Environment
Plan. The Pemulwuy Project's project description report sets out the concept
master plan scheme for a mixed-use development planned for Areas D and parts
of Area F, as described in the Redfern Waterloo Built Environment Plan. The
Pemulwuy Project will be situated on land largely owned by the Aboriginal
Housing Company, as well as other Aboriginal organisations, the Office of
Community Housing and the City of Sydney Council. The Concept Plan was submitted
under Section 75M of Part 3A of the EP&A Act, and describes a development
that includes commercial/community uses and family homes which is consistent
with the stated aims and vision of the Redfern Waterloo area described in
the Redfern Waterloo Built Environment Plan.
First draft of the Project Description Report submitted
to the Dept of Planning (coming soon)
25th April 06: The AHC attended a Planning Focus Meeting at the Department of Planning with City of Sydney, NSW DAA, NSW AHO, Railcorp, Redfern Police, RWA, and Dept of Housing.
3rd August 06: The Director General provided the AHC with a selection of comments submitted by the various stakeholders present at the Planning Focus Meeting.
30th August 06: Planning Minister Frank Sartor released his final SEPP & Built Environment for Redfern Waterloo.
6th September 06: An amendment to AHC's project description was submitted to the Department of Planning to reflect the changes to the SEPP and the Redfern Waterloo Built Environment Plans, along with a development application form. During the month of September the AHC made several requested with the Department of Planning for the Director General's Requirements.
Latest draft of the Project Description Report submitted to the Dept of Planning
6th October 06: The AHC received the Director General's Requirements for the Pemulwuy project. The Director's General's Requirements set out the planning requirements for the proposed project and what The AHC must provide to the Department of Planning for the Concept Plan for the Pemulwuy Project to be assessed.
Director General's Requirement for the Pemulwuy Project
1st November 06: The AHC met with Planning Minister Frank Sartor, Director General of Planning Sam Haddad, RWA CEO Robert Domm, and others at the Minister's office and presented the Pemulwuy Project. The AHC raised the issues of the low residential FSR on the Block and the excessive DGRs. The general feeling was that after the Minister saw the scope of the Pemulwuy project as a mixed development he was willing to concede on several points that were previously of contention.
21st November 06: The AHC and the Department of Planning met to continue a strong dialogue to facilitate the lodgment of a complete concept plan for the Minister's consideration. The decision has been made to apply for approval for a Concept Master Plan which will include the AHC's land and the immediate precinct, subject to an agreement being reached with the AHC's neighbours. Subsequently, Project Applications [DAs] will be lodged for individual components of the project.
23rd November 06: The AHC continued its year long consultation process with its immediate neighbours who could be included in the Master Plan, by hosting a presentation night of the Pemulwuy Project's Concept Plan. The meeting was attended by the City of Sydney councillors, Office of Community Housing and private owners from Lawson Street. The response was overwhelmingly positive and agreement was reached to continue negotiations to develop a project model for the immediate precinct around the AHC's land.
What's next to be
done?:
The AHC will continue to consult with the community and then finalise the
documentation required according to the Director General's Requirements for
the Concept Plan in preparation for lodgement with the Department of Planning
in late December 06 or early January 07. The concept Plan will then be exhibited
by the Dept of Planning for at least 30 days to provide time for community
comment and input before a decision on the Pemulwuy project is made by the
Planning Minister. After the approval of the Concept Plan the AHC will lodge
specific project applications covering the various parts of the site [ref
to Pemulwuy Project Concept Master Plan on this page]. Only upon approval
of these individual project applications can the AHC prepare for construction.
RWA Built Environment
Plan:
Frank Sartor's Redfern Waterloo Authority released their Draft Built Environment
Plan in February 2006 in conjunction with the Draft (SEPP) State Environmental
Planning Policy (major projects) amendment (Redfern-Waterloo), to great criticism
and derision from almost all sectors of the local community. In relation to
the Block the RWA took the provocative and astonishing step of manipulating
the planning controls to destroy the aspirations of the Redfern Aboriginal
community to rebuild 62 new homes for their families on their own land. The
RWA Built Environment Plan effectively slashed the residential development
capacity of the Block by half, while at the same time tripling the residential
redevelopment potential of land surrounding the Block. On Government owned
land at the railway station controls on residential development have been
increased seven fold with no height restrictions. These actions by NSW Government
are specifically aimed at discriminating against the Aboriginal community
on the Block and limit their presence and undermine their influence in Redfern.
On Thursday 10th August 2006 the Aboriginal Housing Company hosted a community
protest rally on the Block attended by 1000 people objecting to Frank Sartor's
manipulation of planning controls to discriminate against Aboriginal land
owners in Redfern. Read the Aboriginal Housing's full object to the changes
in planning controls in Redfern.
On August 30, 2006, a State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) was gazetted for specified sites in the Redfern-Waterloo area. This gives legal effect to the RWA’s Built Environment Plan (BEP). The SEPP maps have now all been posted on the Department of Planning website. The maps can be downloaded from the Department of Planning Website: Zoning (3 MB PDF file) Building Heights (3 MB PDF file) Floor Space Ratio (3 MB PDF file) Heritage Map (3 MB PDF file) and the Gazetted SEPP (PDF 398 Kb file). As with the Draft RWA BEP, REDWatch have produced a summary of the changes proposed by the RWA for each state significant area. REDWatch have provided the summary for download from their website .
Funding the Project:
The Aboriginal Housing Company has explored several potential sources of funding;
including fostering business ties with international private sector partners.
On the issues of government funding the AHC has definitely decided not pursue
any State Government funding to deliver the housing project. This decision
on government funding was made in large part because of the stated agenda
of the NSW Government to remove and limit the number of Aboriginal on their
own land, and previous attempts by the NSW Government to take control of Aboriginal
land. Clearly, in relation to Redfern the NSW Government have shown they have
no vision when it comes to issues of creative and inclusive urban renewal
in Aboriginal communities.
Construction:
No firm commitment can be given at this stage as to when construction will
start, as this stage depends on Frank Sartor approving the Pemulwuy Project
in an expedient and timely manner.
Cracknell
and Lonergan:
World famous architects Cracknell and Lonergan have come on board to prepare
the final Master Plan and the Development Application for the Block, to be
submitted to Minister Frank Sartor for his development approval. Cracknell
Lonergan Architects are a multi-disciplinary design studio with a long history
of involvement with Aboriginal communities including designing Tranby Aboriginal
College in Glebe; and recently working closely with Australian Aboriginal
artists to transfer their unique artwork on to the external facade and the
internal ceilings and walls of the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris. Through
their years experience with Aboriginal culture Cracknell Lonergan Architects
are able to promote a culturally sensitive and innovative approach to design
and this approach is embedded in all facets of their work. The principals
of the company are Peter Lonergan (Bsc Arch, B Arch, M Benv) and Julie Cracknell
(Bsc Arch, B Arch, M Benv). Peter Lonergan is a Chartered Architect, a member
of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and on the Heritage Conservation
Committee of the RAIA. They currently employ 15 staff and specialise in a
number of fields including architecture, environmental design, town planning,
heritage conservation and consultation, exhibition design and artistic collaboration.
www.cracknelllonergan.com.au
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