Outraged residents fear their street would become a slum area with the NSW Department of Housing announcing the first plans for medium-density social housing in the area.
No longer the domain of metropolitan areas, Lewis Street residents were informed via a letter on Friday that their quiet neighbourhood would be the first to undergo high density social housing developments with the demolition of two department houses in favour of a $2 million nine-unit block.
The street a mixture of homeowners, private tenants and Housing NSW tenants fear the loss of peace.
Residents claim there would be at least nine tenants instead of two. They say the units would increase traffic flow and associated noise at all times of the day and night, and there would be nine wheelie bins out on the street instead of two.
Further, Housing NSW allows tenants to have pets, the neighbours said. They said they were also concerned by the planned removal of a long established pine tree; home to yellow faced black cockatoos, white cockatoos and a family of brush-tailed possums.
With Housing NSW homes in nearby streets like Coronation Avenue the residents warn nothing would stop the department from creating a high-density block, reducing the value of homes and destroying the ambience.
The residents argue the two department houses earmarked for demolition recently underwent renovations including re-painting, new insulation and electrical re-wiring wasting taxpayer money.
A spokesperson for Housing NSW said only one house received upgrading in May and when the error was detected work immediatly ceased. The spokesperson said Housing NSW would ensure as much material as possible would be recycled if the homes are approved for demolition.
“We understand the need to cope with the long list of people waiting for public housing, but in a small rural town such as Glen Innes, there is ample land available for the construction of units without demolishing homes and wrecking the ambience of a quiet local street,” said neighbour Ed Cheshire, who shares his throughts on the project in a letter to the editor on page 4.
Neighbour Sue King said the houses were good liveable houses.
“There are department houses in other streets in not as good a condition, they are the ones they should be pulling down if they are going to pull down houses,” she said.
The Housing NSW spokesperson said the Lewis Street site was selected because the two houses were nearing their economical life and the site was a level, well located block.
“This is close to services such as shops, schools, doctors for example. Where land is available to purchase in towns like Glen Innes, it is either on the edge of town and too far from services or it is in town and too expensive for Housing NSW to redevelop,” the spokesperson said.
According to letters sent to neighbours, under the State Environment Planning Policy the development, including subdivision would be carried out as “development without consent” determined by Housing NSW under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, bypassing Council assessment.
The only input Council is allowed to have is the same as neighbours 21 days to write a submission to be considered as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment.
Glen Innes Severn Councils Director of Development and Environmental Services Graham Price said there was quite a deal of development that no longer requires council approval. He said it was disappointing that council does not have a greater say in planning within the community.
There are approximately 100,000 homeless Australians. Through the federal governments Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan Housing NSW will spend $2 billion on 6000 new social housing homes across the state.
M Editorial, Letters - page 4
Email a friend
Favourites
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Digg
StumbleUpon
MySpace
Reddit
Newsvine
LinkedIn
Kwoff
Twitter