THE SHORT STORY

The College of Fine Arts (COFA), part of UNSW, is planning a $50 million redevelopment of the campus in Paddington, which breaches commitments made in their DA approval and breaks promises made to the community. 

In January 2010 COFA and UNSW presented a construction traffic management plan at odds with its approvals for the two month demolition stage, which sought permission to alter the precincts' one-way street system, pull out landscaped islands, traffic calming devices and a public park for use as a major two-way construction truck highway. This is despite COFA’s repeated commitments to use the nearby Greens Road, and is contrary to COFA's 2008 Development Approval, which makes special mention of protecting residential amenity from truck movements.

The residents are not opposed to the redevelopment – just the trucks.

Council asks for the whole story
In February, after a direct request from the City Council, COFA and UNSW presented a new and more comprehensive traffic management plan - this time for the whole construction period. With this plan, the residents worst fears were realised. Residential streets are now to be used for the whole term of construction – 27 months.

The residents are naturally, not happy. The proposed truck route runs contrary to all the documentation COFA/UNSW submitted in support of its development application and contrary to the multiple assurances given at community briefings. COFA/UNSW have shown a complete lack of transparency in community consultations and they are misrepresenting the facts.

Their plan to modify residential streets for construction trucks is ludicrous, when a large non-residential RTA collector road (Greens Road) runs the length of the campus frontage. It's a complete abrogation of the commitments made in their DA approval and invalidates all promises made to the community.

Council presents compromise traffic plan
In March the Council presented a compromise traffic management plan after receiving a petition with hundreds of signatures and dozens of emails from concerned residents and citizens - thankyou to all of you who supported us. The community thought this plan was reasonable, even though it had significant impact on Napier St residents and allowed truck access for light strip-out using Josephson St, Selwyn St and Albion Avenue.

And at the Sydney Council's extraordinary Traffic Committee meeting held on Friday 12 March, it appeared as though COFA and UNSW were prepared to accept the compromise.

COFA & UNSW goes over Council's head
But no. By the end of March COFA & UNSW had gone over Council's head and sought favour with the NSW Department of Planning, citing that the compromise plan was unfeasible.

COFA and UNSW want to ignore the Council's March 2010 compromise traffic plan and have asked the NSW Department of Planning to do, what will effectively, reverse the Statement of Commitments that underpinned the 2008 Development Approval.

Put simply, COFA and UNSW want their trucks using residential streets for the complete 27 months – Josephson Street, Selwyn Street, Albion Avenue and Napier Streets. This is all three residential sides of the campus!!

What can you do? Voice your opposition!!
We've made it simple.
Copy the text between the dotted lines (below), then click HERE to email all the NSW State people, and paste in your objection. Add your own concerns and objections too.
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I strongly object to:
1. The removal of the City Council’s approval powers
2. The use of residential streets for truck access for the full 27 months

And would like to point out:
3. The delays in starting are completely under COFA/UNSW’s control
4. That COFA/UNSW have shown a lack of transparency in community consultations and are misrepresenting the facts.
5. The Council brokered compromise from March 2010 was deemed reasonable by the community, even though it had significant impact on Napier St residents and allowed truck access for light strip-out
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Do it as quickly as possible as the decision is due very soon (perhaps even tomorrow!).

What else can you do? Get everyone in the house to send a separate email so that the NSW Government people are inundated.
Once you've done that – you can also become a follower – the more people the better – by going over to the right hand side of the webpage and clicking "Follow". You can also click on "Tweet this" if you're a Twitterer, or the Facebook Icon if you're a Facebooker. 

WE CAN STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING IF WE MAKE AN EFFORT.

Other ways you can help
• TELL PEOPLE about this terrible thing COFA & UNSW is trying to do. The news needs to spread. Tell them about this blog, send them a link to a funny story, such as this one
• JOIN US by becoming a follower – click on the Follower button on the right hand side (you don't have to be a resident)
• WRITE comments of support or ideas on the stories
• COME BACK often for news, resources, easy next steps