Waterloo Estate’s New 3000 Home Proposal

Plans for the development of up to 3000 new dwellings, comprising 30 per cent social housing has been put forward as part of a new proposal lodged for the Waterloo estate.

The New South Wales Land and Housing Corporation lodged a planning proposal in May with the City of Sydney for the mammoth inner-Sydney project, to rezone the southern portion of the Waterloo site.

Waterloo South, which makes up around 65 per cent of the entire 18-hectare site, represents the first of three stages in the state’s proposed redevelopment plans.

Waterloo south includes land bounded by Cope, Raglan, George, Wellington, Gibson, Kellick, Pitt and McEvoy streets, and has an approximate site area of 12.32 hectares.

The state government's masterplan, released in January last year, attracted widespread criticism from council, residents and public housing advocates.

“Over the coming months, our staff will rigorously assess the proposal and put a recommendation to the public for consultation,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said on the latest proposal.

“As we begin to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, this redevelopment offers the opportunity for more social and affordable housing in the inner city, while also boosting jobs in the construction sector.”

The masterplan was revised following community and City of Sydney feedback, with city mayor Clover Moore describing the project as an example of “gross overdevelopment”.

Buildings have been reduced from 40 to 30 levels, with the City of Sydney stipulating new buildings are between seven to nine storeys, with 12 to 13-storey buildings around the major park.

Minister for housing Melinda Pavey said the latest proposal comprises around 3000 new properties to be developed, with 30 per cent allocated for social housing, and more than two hectares of open space.

“The proposal will include an additional 100 new social housing dwellings in the area,” Pavey said.

The Waterloo project is expected to comprise a mixture of social, affordable and private housing, and is the largest project in LAHC’s $22 billion Communities Plus program—in which private housing is built on public land to fund the upgrade or replacement of public housing.

“By deconcentrating disadvantage, we can breathe new life into local economies to reenergise social housing to create vibrant communities, not just buildings,” Pavey said.

The project is located by the Waterloo Metro Station, slated to open in 2024.

City of Sydney will now assess the documents, put it on public exhibition, prior to determination.

Related: Four Residential Towers Approved At Waterloo Metro Quarter