School Intake Area Review input until 11 July.

The Department of Education is undertaking a review of Inner West and Inner West primary school catchments.

They have developed a survey and one question asks people to consider alignment between primary and secondary intake areas as well any aspects of your school’s existing intake area that create challenges for the community when accessing your school.

There has been concern in the northern part of Darlington and Redfern about not being in the intake area for the Inner Sydney High School. Parts of these suburbs to the west of Redfern Station are instead in the Alexandria Park Community High School intake area.

If there was a bridge over the railway line at Carriageworks then Alexandria Park would be close to Darlington and the new housing proposed for North Eveleigh. But Transport for NSW still opposes this bridge, meaning children going to high school from Darlington
have very long trips via Redfern Station to Alexandria Park.

The infographic below shows the problem for Darlington parents and their children.

You can see the intake areas on https://schoolfinder.education.nsw.gov.au/

You can do the Inner West and Inner City Primary Schools survey
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/86XSLDV

You can tell Department of Education they too should push Transport NSW for a Bridge.

You can support the Build a Bridge Campaign supported by REDWatch, Alexandria Residents Action Group (ARAG) and Friends of Erskineville (FoE) at https://actionnetwork.org/letters/build-a-bridge

CANCELLATION – 2025 Candidates Forum for The Seat of Sydney

Regretfully, we have to advise that we have decided to cancel the Candidates Forum for the seat of Sydney which was planned for Wednesday 23 April, 2025 at the Alexandria Town Hall.

Unfortunately, Tanya Plibersek is now unable to attend and we have not heard from the Liberal candidate Alex Xu nor the One Nation candidate Vedran Torbarac.

We would like to thank Rachel Evans, the Socialist Alliance candidate and Luc Velez, the Greens candidate, who had agreed to make themselves available. It is unfortunate that we could not confirm all candidates for this important event.

Responses to the top three issues

Many of our residents took the time to vote on their top three issues coming into this election and these would have formed the basis of the presentations at the Candidates Forum.  

The three top issues identified in the survey and the questions are:

  • Health – how will your improve our health system and make it more accessible and affordable for all Australians including for those needing specialists?
  • Taxation – will you reform the current system and if so, what will you target for greatest effect?
  • Housing – what changes will you make that improve access and equity to secure housing for all Australians whether it be social, public, affordable, rental or home ownership?

While we are not holding the forum, we have asked all candidates to provide a short response which we will post on our respective websites and via social media in the lead up to the election on 3 May.

On behalf of Alexandria Residents Action Group, Friends of Erskineville and RedWatch.

Mark your calendar! – Wed 23 April 2025 – Seat of Sydney Candidates Forum – 2025 Federal Election

The 2025 Candidate’s Forum, co-hosted by Friends of Erskineville, Redwatch and ARAG will be held on:

Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Alexandria Town Hall – 73 Garden Street, Alexandria at 7pm

The resident survey is still open for responses. You still have time this week to make your voice heard. Tell us what key issues matter to you & your community the most. The top three issues voted by the community will be put to the Candidates to address at the forum.

Click on the quick resident survey now: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LF3Y2ZJ?

Hope to see you there.

2025 Federal Election – Candidates Forum for the Seat of Sydney

Residents Online SurveyLet us know what is important to you.

ARAG, Friends of Erskineville and Redwatch will be jointly hosting a Candidates Forum next month for this years Federal Election.

As in past years, before each election, Candidates are invited to speak at the forum and asked to address three important issues. These topics are voted by the residents and community via a survey.

The forum is to be scheduled at the Alexandria Town Hall. A date will be advised once the election date is finalised.

In the meantime, here’s a chance to have your say. Click on the survey below and tell us, as a resident, what issues matter to you the most. Once the survey is closed, the top three topics voted by the community, will be forwarded to the Candidates to address on the night in their opening forums.

Complete the short survey below by scanning the QR code or click the link here

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LF3Y2ZJ

Please feel free to share this link to your Alexandria, Erskineville & Redfern/Waterloo community contacts and your local neighhood FB pages.

158 Wyndham St – Proposed 6 story apartment building on the site of a narrow single storey house

A developer has put in a Development Application to put a six-storey apartment building on the former site of a single storey house with an area of 271.8 sqm at 158 Wyndham Street, Alexandria, directly opposite Alexandria Park.

Information on the DA: D/2024/803
Click this link to view the DA documentation: https://eplanning.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Pages/XC.track/SearchApplication.aspx?id=2418075

How to Submit An Objection to the DA
If you wish to submit an objection to the DA, a template has been prepared by community members who have thoroughly read the documentation & have outlined key issues and reasons of serious concern. Feel free to use this objection sample letter – you can copy and paste the content you wish to use for your objection and email to City of Sydney Planning. Click here to access the template letter’s pdf.

Where do I email the objection
The DA objection must be submitted using the following email address: dasubmissions@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

In the subject of the email, please put the following: Submission – D/2024/803 – 158 Wyndham Street ALEXANDRIA NSW 2015 – Attention Samantha Kruize, Senior Planner

Closing Date
The closing date of the exhibiton is 30 October, 2024 but submissions will be accepted after this date.

Recent News Article

City of Sydney – Lord Mayoral Candidates Forum – 21 August 2024

With the NSW Local Council and Mayoral Elections fast approaching next month, a reminder ARAG, Friends of Erskineville, and REDwatch are jointly hosting a City of Sydney – Lord Mayoral Candidates Forum on Wednesday, 21 August at the Alexandria Town Hall at 7pm.

Earlier, a survey was conducted among the residents and the local community to vote on the top three issues they would like the candidates to speak about. The survey closed last night, and we can now confirm the top three topics.

  • Transport – finding a balance between pedestrians, cyclists, vehicle drivers, and public transport users
  • Development – ensuring that development incorporates the delivery of community benefit (parks, open spaces, areas for people to come together)
  • Housing affordability – the role of the Council in maximising the delivery of affordable housing via the Council’s contribution scheme and the allocation to community housing providers, the affordable and diverse housing fund, the City’s strategic planning and housing targets, the City’s planning consent/refusal vis-a-vis net loss of dwellings.

Who Will Be Speaking:

There are eight Candidates confirmed. After their presentations there will be a Q&A session for residents to participate in. The following Candidates speaking will be:

  • Clover Moore – Clover Moore Independent Team
  • Lyndon Gannon – Liberal Party
  • Rachel Evans – Socialist Alliance Party
  • Sam Danieli – We Love Sydney Independents
  • Sean Masters – Libertarian
  • Sylvie Ellsmore – The Greens
  • Yvonne Weldon – Yvonne Weldon Independents
  • Zann Maxwell – Labour Party

We will be also live-streaming this forum for those who cannot attend in person. The link will be posted closer to the night on this blog & our FB page.

For updated details follow: https://www.facebook.com/AlexandriaResidentsActionGroup

Look forward to welcome everyone to Alexandria Town Hall, 73 Garden Street, Alexandria at 7pm – 21 August 2024.

Have Your Say – City of Sydney – Lord Mayoral Candidates Forum

The City of Sydney Council election is coming up in September.

Alexandria Residents Action Group, Friends of Erskineville and Redwatch will be hosting a Candidates Forum on 21 August 2024 at the Alexandria Town Hall, Garden Street, Alexandria at 7pm.  

So you can hear about the things important to you, we have invited the Lord Mayoral candidates to ask them to talk about the things that are important to you and your community.

Please complete the survey by going to  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8DJJMHB  or scan the QR code and let us know what you’d like the candidates to talk about on the night.

Pass on to your neighbours and here’s a time to Have Your Say to make our issues count.

Can you help Build A Bridge #buildabridge

Eveleigh Pedestrian & Cycling Bridge Campagin Update

Help get to over 2000 signatures by signing the petition campaign for an active transport bridge across the tracks at Eveleigh before 13 May 2023. Click here to please sign.

This is a joint campaign of Friends of Erskineville, REDwatch and Alexandria Residents Action Group.

Did you know that in 2006 the State Government found the plans to build a bridge across the rail corridor connecting North & South Eveleigh, not only feasible on the location proposed, but promised to fund it and have it completed by 2008. They are now saying they can “find no suitable crossing site that is financially feasible or appropriate”. This is unacceptable.

The number of people living and working in around the Redfern to Erskenville is growing rapidly & we need an active transport corridor to connect both sides of the railway line divide.

The City of Sydney, Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, has agreed to table the petition at the next council meeting on 13 May 2024. The City of Sydney will have a motion at this meeting to support the campaign and advocate strongly to the State Government for it’s construction.

Please help reach a goal of over 2000 signatures before 13 May 2023 by signing the petition here.

Locals all know the rail corridor from Erskineville to Redfern is a divide through the area that means long travel distances between Carriageworks, Darlington and Sydney Uni on one side to Eveleigh, Alexandria and Waterloo on the other. When the Sydney Metro opens at Waterloo, students will face a 30 minute walk to Sydney Uni campus. This bridge could cut that by 10 minutes.

North and South Eveleigh connection

Potential site

Plans from April 2007

An example of a bridge that could bring our communities together.

News article from September 2006.

Each petition signature triggers an email to the NSW Minister for Transport Jo Haylen, so get clicking and make sure she gets the message loud and clear: build the bridge!

Friends of Erskineville, REDwatch and Alexandria Residents Action Group.

Grave concerns about the State Government’s proposed changes to planning laws

While we applaud the State Government’s attempt to improve the much needed supply of housing, we believe that the approach they are using is ill conceived as it does not take into account the density of existing suburbs, but applies a one-size all approach that will lead to catastrophic outcomes for suburbs like Alexandria.

In addition, the proposal is based on shaky evidence provided by the NSW Productivity Commission about density. 

“Compared with other leading global cities, Sydney has low-density inner suburbs. Manhattan, the inner boroughs of London, and most districts of Paris are far denser than inner Sydney. Even inner areas of Melbourne and Brisbane have considerably higher population density than Sydney’s inner suburbs.NSW Productivity Commission Building more homes where people want to live 2023

The density of inner Sydney is comparable to many international cities and does not have a low population density. Inner Sydney (inner 10km2 and 20km2) is denser than inner London, Melbourne, and Brisbane; and most leading global cities named by the Productivity Commission. This ‘evidence’ is misleading and not based on fact.

Please make a submission to the Department of Planning

We urge you to review the material and to provide your feedback to the Department of Planning by this Friday 23 February 2024 via their portal:

https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/draftplans/exhibition/explanation-intended-effect-changes-create-low-and-mid-rise-housing

Issues you can put in your submission

The ARAG Committee has reviewed the proposed changes and believes the main issues are as follows:

  • Alexandria is already a high density suburb – with 1,540 people per square kilometre.  Greater Sydney has 429 people per square kilometre so we are already 3.5 times denser!

  • It is inappropriate to propose blanket height and density increases across most of the Local Government Area without properly considering local conditions, amenity and heritage impacts, and the increased demand for infrastructure and services.

    We are already heavily impacted by the increased density of Green Square and what will be built near the Metro station at Waterloo as well as other developments that are already in progress (Mitchell Road, Ashmore Estate and proposed changes to Explorer Street public housing).

    Our schools are full and hospitals are already over capacity and this is before developments that are already in train (Waterloo housing, Green Square) are completed

  • The proposal does not take into account the fact that our roads are already choked with existing traffic caused by the number of current residents and the fact that our streets are a thoroughfare for cars, trucks and commercial vehicles coming from the South and travelling to the city and surrounding areas.

    The developments that are already in progress (Mitchell Road, Ashmore Estate and proposed changes to Explorer Street public housing) will have significant impact on the number of movements in and around Alexandria and add to the significant congestion in both peak and off peak periods.  The proposal will add further significant density which cannot be supported.

  • The proposals have been rushed without working with Local Government and without releasing the State’s new housing targets. This is policy on the run.

  • This proposal is on top of already proposed changes to provide 30% height and floor space bonuses for development that includes 15% Affordable Housing and it is only required to be Affordable Housing for 15 years.

    This means that where the government proposed 6 story height limit within 400m of transport would be increased to 7-8 storeys if affordable housing was proposed.  In addition, we believe that affordable housing should be locked in for ever – not just for 15 years.

  • The proposal mean the City will not be able to refuse an application on the basis of height and floor space if it meets those standards even if the negative impacts to the community are significant.

  • The proposed increases to height and floor space may conflict with Council policies including master planning and heritage provisions. These conflicts will lead to appeals and inevitably slow down housing developments.

  • The proposed changes to the Apartment Design Guide, which will lead to more apartments with less amenity, such as sunlight, privacy and landscaping.

Examples of what the changes could look like in practice

The City of Sydney has provided some mockups of what these changes could mean using examples in our LGA (but not Alexandria).


Example 1 – Erskineville – worst case scenario

Current
– Single storey dwellings
– Conservation area small lots
– Retain front room – build out the back on two adjoining sites


Proposed
– 3:1 and 6-8 stories
– overshadow neighbours
– separation + privacy
– compromises heritage values
– more cars, more bins, less trees
chaotic outcome

Example 2

Current:
– 2.5:1 base FSR
– used as commercial creative offices
– currently occupied
– not far from light rail station
– not heritage listed
– narrow footpaths

Proposed:
– 3:1 + affordable housing bonus + 0.9:1
– 6 or 8-9 storeys (AH) high (21m-34m)
– narrow street and footpaths with street bins (no basement pickup) and additional cars
– loss of solar access to neighbours
– few, if any, private trees

Example 3 – Surry Hills – corner Devonshire and Riley Streets

Current:
– 2.5:1 base FSR
– used as commercial offices
– currently empty and offered for rent
– adjacent to light rail station
– not heritage listed

Proposed:
– 3:1 (+ affordable housing bonus of 0.9)
– 6 or 8 storeys (AH) high (21m-28m)
– little to no overshadowing
– few, if any, private trees possible
– communal open space on roof top