You may have noticed banners hanging from neighbouring homes and wondered, what does "Truck Off COFA" mean? Please be assured that these banners are not directed at you but at COFA management.
Let us explain a little of the history to you…
As you’ll be aware, COFA is about to start work on a $50 million upgrade of its Paddington campus, forecast to last some 27 months. In a reversal of previous plans and promises made to locals, it is now seeking Council approval to change one-way residential backstreets into a major two-way construction truck highway.
This is despite COFA’s repeated commitments to use the nearby Greens Road – a larger route devoid of dwellings that fronts the campus off Oxford Street. Residents stress that they are not opposed to the development – just the trucks.
During demolition this would see thousands of dirty, heavy construction trucks running through small neighbourhood streets, one every nine minutes during the hours of 9am to 3pm.
Obviously, the people who live here aren’t happy as the proposed truck route runs contrary to all the documentation COFA submitted in support of its development application and multiple assurances given to residents at community briefings over the past few years.
Development approval obliged COFA to outline measures specifically protecting residential amenity from truck movements. To comply, COFA pledged to create a large vehicle access route into its campus from Greens Road, before demolition began. COFA was still trumpeting this Greens Road truck entry on its website as late as 24 November 2009.
The redevelopment of your campus is great news, but it is a major project. It will see two to three years of redevelopment activity with significant and unavoidable impacts on locals. At the least, COFA should shield locals from their massive conga line of trucks, as they promised.
A brief history of COFA’s redevelopment project
In 2002, COFA lodged the ad-hoc DA 1431 with Council for the construction of an Art Museum & Gallery on the Selwyn Street residential frontage of its campus. No small project, this would be the third largest gallery in Sydney.
The Community objects and requests a Masterplan for the whole COFA Campus site that would reorient the campus and Gallery towards its non-residential frontages on Oxford Street and Greens Road.
In June 2004, UNSW withdraws DA 1431 and agrees to work with Sydney City Council and the community on a comprehensive Masterplan.
From 2005 to 2008, much work was done by all parties. The UNSW, the Community and Council negotiated a Development Control Plan that made everyone a winner. Instead of just a new gallery, COFA got a campus-wide agreement along with much improved student facilities. In turn, the Community got its wish for reorientation of the campus away from homes, plus an agreement for all access – during development and on completion – to come via Greens Road.
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Dear students - hope you like the website. Don't be afraid to contribute.Take a look at the Truck Off T-shirt designs. You can even design one yourself and we'll post it.
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