by Ian Stephenson, Glebe Society President, Bulletin 4/2023, June 2023

On 7 May, the Blue Wrens, our ecology arm, presented An introduction to Glebe’s Hill – unravelling its biodiversity secrets and potential. This study of the animal and insect life within this contained part of Glebe has certainly captured our members’ imagination, as nearly 100 people attended. Read Virginia Simpson-Young’s report.

82 Wentworth Park Rd

Hands off Glebe demonstration against the demolition of public housing at 82 Wentworth Park Road.
Hands off Glebe demonstration against the demolition of public housing at 82 Wentworth Park Road. It will remove 27 bedrooms from the stock of public housing for several years and produce a net gain of 26 bedrooms at a cost of nearly $22 million. (Image: Ian Stephenson)

You will recall my article Having your cake and eating it, too in the April 2023 Bulletin which explored the alternatives of refurbishing and extending the current building as a better option to demolishing and rebuilding at a cost of nearly $22 million – that’s $22 million to provide an additional 26 bedrooms! 

The Society and our compatriots at Hands Off Glebe are working together to persuade the new government to take a fresh approach to managing the NSW Land and Housing Corporation’s assets in Glebe. One which:

  • respects community
  • refurbishes and refits
  • provides additional density through low-rise infill
  • respects the Heritage Conservation Areas
  • does not add to greenhouse emissions by demolishing well-built buildings
  • uses money wisely.  

I spoke at a demonstration Hands off Glebe organised at 82 Wentworth Park Rd on 18 May where Denis Doherty pointed out that demolishing the complex involves moving all the existing tenants. He said `demolishing and rebuilding will take years to complete, meaning a net loss of houses’. By contrast, refurbishing and extending can be staged and is far less disruptive. 

The destruction of 82 Wentworth Park Road is cold comfort for the homeless sleeping under the light rail viaduct across the road.
The destruction of 82 Wentworth Park Road is cold comfort for the homeless sleeping under the light rail viaduct across the road. (Image: Ian Stephenson)

Tenants were moved out of 27 bedrooms of public housing in Cowper Street a couple of years ago. The buildings were demolished last year and construction of the new buildings has barely commenced. With the further 27 bedrooms planned for demolition at 82 Wentworth Park Rd, that’s 54 bedrooms out of action for several years. As Denis Doherty has pointed out, this is an obscenity when across the road, homeless people are sleeping under the light rail viaducts.

It’s time for a new approach, it’s time for the Land and Housing Corporation to withdraw its development application for 82 Wentworth Park Rd and refurbish and extend the present building.

Raising of Pyrmont Bridge Rd

Last month’s Bulletin had an excellent article by Asa Wahlquist, the Society’s Representative on the Sydney Fish Market Community Consultative Committee on Raising Bridge Rd for the Fish Market carpark. I am pleased to advise that Kobi Shetty, the member for Balmain, is taking up our concerns which include damage to the environment, cost and flooding. To paraphrase the World War II slogan `Is Your Journey Really Necessary?’, we need to be asking is this project really necessary? At a time of budgetary challenges it seems to have more downside than upside.