Minto redevelopment update

Thanks to our friends at Minto Residents Action Group (MRAG) for this latest update.

"Minto redevelopment is less than halfway through the project – even though on paper the plans are complete and they are just waiting on money to be released. The MRAG believe that we should endeavour to “keep them honest”.  Announced in 2002, started in approx. 2006 and predicted to finish in 2015.  It has already been put back at least 12 months.  Working Together in Minto (a human services project coordinated by HNSW) has withdrawn and the Minto Renewal Forum has ceased.  MRAG have been asked to join the Community Reference Group which will be formed by the new group working in Minto - Macarthur Diversity Services Initiative (MDSI) which so far do not have a worker. Our best alternative is inviting (Renewal, Land and Housing) and (Landcom) to our Minto RAG meetings. They do come when invited."

WHAT WE WERE TOLD (PROMISED)	WHERE WE ARE AT (AND WHAT HAS CHANGED)
Over 55/seniors units      - 120	We have 20.    Construction of 60 more units have started, with possibility of further 40 to start depending on funds availability.  With these I believe (but cannot find proof) we were told that each complex would have a community room, even though normally there had to be 24/25 units per complex.  Of the remaining complexes (40 – 20 – 22 and 18) only the one with 40 will have a community room – and the others may have an undercover area for entertaining.  At this stage all will have lifts.
Two bedroom Ballot  - 102 (There were 111 families in ballot)	There are 20 two bedroom cottages completed with 4 more in the late stages –so there are 78 more to come.  Integrated Housing was planned around the parks and social housing tenants were to occupy about ratio 2:3.   Because of difficulty with Integrated Housing they had to change the plans and sell as individual lots meaning that Landcom lost some lots and then because it was 50/50 HNSW gave 4 lots back to Landcom so we are now short 4 houses around Redfern Park.  We were told that these will be added to the South side of Minto.   I am told by the Housing office in Campbelltown (who control the ballot list) that they are in contact with people on the list and there are people who are happy where they are so will not be taking up the offer…. No numbers.  Because some of the two story places around the parks are unsatisfactory for people on the list Housing has had to divert further down the list.  With uncertainty as to funding and timing of construction for 2 bedroom cottages, consideration is being given to use the 2 bedroom seniors as suitable offers for those eligible from the ballot.
Five bedroom homes - approx. 7	None have been started but plans for 4 have been approved on the north side in Gawler Ave.  A fifth cottage will be placed on south side.
Existing 3 and 4 bedroom cottages – approximately 127 with an additional 50 to be sold	Work is in progress on the cottages bounded by Guernsey, Mortimer, Gawler and Benham with a budget of approx. $80,000 per property on average. The families living in these cottages have had to put up with some dreadful times – some were told they were not losing anything only to have workmen in the next day ripping out their gardens. The civil works have dug their yards up to put in a new drainage system and then not connected them to it only to have their properties flood everytime it rains. Three properties in Piper Way are to be demolished and negotiations were proceeding with the tenants. These will be included in the 50 cottages that are to be sold. On the other side (Pendergast) it has been deferred for a while and will be done in two different sections. I hope that the journey will be more pleasant for them.  LAHC and UGNSW have advised that lessons learnt from northern side will be used to ensure there is less impact on residents; however, there will be disruptions during construction.