Brad Hazzard media release: Ivanhoe Estate + new Communities Plus sites

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Thursday, 25 August 2016

HOUSING PROJECT DELIVERS STRONG INTEREST

The first Communities Plus renewal project at Ivanhoe (Macquarie Park) has sparked strong interest from the private sector development industry and Community Housing Providers (CHPs), said Minister for Social Housing, Brad Hazzard.

“The three shortlisted organisations represent the top echelon of the private development sector and strong Community Housing Providers,” Mr Hazzard said.

“This is an extremely positive response to the Communities Plus program and shows how Government, the private sector and CHPs can be innovative and band together to deliver more housing and better social outcomes.”

The shortlisted groups are: Exemplar Living (Lend Lease) with St George Community Housing and Capella Capital; Frasers Property with Mission Australian Housing and Citta Property Group; and Stockland with Evolve Housing and Brookfield Multiplex Constructions.

The renewal project at Ivanhoe will boost social housing, more than doubling the current 259 social housing dwellings. The project will see 556 new social housing dwellings, at least 128 new affordable housing dwellings and some 1900 private dwellings on the eight hectare site.

The NSW Government has also announced that the second Communities Plus Neighbourhood Renewal package will be offered through an Expression of Interest to Community Housing Providers and small to medium sized private developers. These ten sites will deliver an estimated 790 new private, social and affordable homes into the high demand NSW housing market.

“These ten sites will provide a 300% increase from the current number of social housing dwellings and give residents modern new homes,” Mr Hazzard said.

Neighbourhood Renewal Release 2 involves sites in Corrimal, Wagga Wagga, St Marys, Padstow, Liverpool, South Granville (two sites), Warwick Farm, Parramatta North and Lane Cove.

Communities Plus is a $22 billion redevelopment of NSW Government owned social housing estates to deliver 23,000 new social housing dwellings and 40,500 private and affordable homes in integrated communities with better community outcomes.

Ivanhoe Estate Tenant Group - Ryde Council's Volunteer Group of the Year, 2016.

Cross posted from the Brown Couch: former Ivanhoe Estate resident Marie Sillars talks about the strength of a community, the shock of relocation, and how to ensure all is not lost to "renewal".

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My time with the Ivanhoe Estate Tenant Group Inc. started some 6 years ago and I am a Founder Member of the Group. We established a Community Centre (pictured) and started organising BBQs, meetings and getting involved in our community.

Four years ago we heard (on TV News) that Ivanhoe was to be demolished as it had gone past "its use by date" and very quickly we started to gather information, attend meetings, take part in Community Reference Group meetings and even became involved with a Parliamentary Committee on public housing. At the same time the group were running craft classes (we have knitted and crocheted scores of blankets, beanies, scarves etc. which will be donated to a homeless shelter & local hospital) computers for the elderly, breakfasts at the Centre, established a community garden (tenants were invited to take any herbs or veggies that they needed) and generally made ourselves busy with the day to day matters that a community needs. We had Oz Harvest for 2 years where we distributed up to 150 kilos of food on a Saturday afternoon and we had the greatest fun. Most of the Oz Harvest Committee were over the age of 60 and it was a great way to make sure that the elderly tenants had enough fruit, vegetables and groceries to keep them going until the next Saturday. Rain, hail and shine we worked our way through the food with an incredible energy for people of our age.

We knew the time was coming when the final decision would be made but somehow just kept working away trying not to think about the inevitable time when the FACS people would deliver the letters and we would then we would have to decide how we would deal with this. Late last year the letters were delivered and even though we knew it was coming the whole place went into shock and we were called to a meeting at the Community Centre where we were introduced to the officers who would become our Relocation Officers. It was an awful day and it had quite a negative effect upon the tenants, especially the elderly folk. We decided on that day that the Committee would go ahead "business as usual" and try hard to get through what was to become a difficult period. As Christmas at Ivanhoe came and went we all knew that this would probably be our last Christmas together as a group, and the atmosphere around the Centre changed. People were sad and a bit down and together with the Salvation Army on the Estate we tried very hard to keep people's spirits up and tried to make a positive side of the relocations.

As time went on and we were still attending meetings the interviews with our respective Relocation Officers were conducted and we were then told to wait as the Officers searched for places for us. As this has been happening tenants started to move away and so I contacted some people outside of the Estate to help establish a "Footprints" Committee to gather information, pictures and stories about the Estate so that when the new places are built, people there will know that there was a thriving, exciting community existing before. Ryde Council, Salvation Army, Macquarie University, FACS, and many of our wonderful supporters have come on board with this idea to create media, films, interviews and many other ways to show how a great Community CAN work and that Public Housing Tenants can work in a positive and intelligent way to come together and be proud of what they have achieved.

Two weeks ago I myself had to move and I am not very far away from the Ivanhoe Estate so I am able to keep craft classes happening on Mondays for those who are still there. The Committee who had worked so hard at Oz Harvest had started to move away also and we will all keep in touch in the future. As this Community fades away we are keen to let people know that through the Footprints Programme the Ivanhoe Committee will not be forgotten.

Last week (5th May 2016) some of the Committee attended a Volunteer of the Year Evening with Ryde Council and I was so very honoured to be nominated as Volunteer of the Year. I did not win but the Ivanhoe Estate Tenant Group DID win Volunteer Group of the Year 2016 and I have to say it was one of the proudest moments of my life. Even through our times of sadness it just shows that a community such as the Ivanhoe Estate can shine through, smile and move on to other communities. As they say "Onwards and Upwards" but in the end it has been a great achievement and one I will never forget!

Marie Sillars May 2016

Ivanhoe Estate redevelopment timeline

The Land and Housing Corporation-lead redevelopment of the Ivanhoe Estate in Macquarie Park was announced in September 2015. Six months later and on the ground work has commenced, with the relocation of current tenants now taking place. 

But the proposal existed, in a number of distinct incarnations, for over four years prior to last year's decision. The Ivanhoe Estate Tenant Group has posted a timeline to its Facebook page of events leading up to the September announcement (original link here). The story it tells is one of equivocation, referral, and delay - as well as years of uncertainty for the residents affected:

Macquarie Park redevelopment update

The NSW Government has released further details of the Macquarie Park redevelopment.

According to a Department of Family and Community Services media release, construction works will take place on the site of the NSW Land and Housing Corporation's Ivanhoe Estate. It follows that State Property Authority land in Macquarie Park will not be utilised, and no private property will be acquired. Furthermore, the precise number of affordable housing dwellings to be constructed is 128.

An artist's impression of the Macquarie Park redevelopment

The redevelopment will also form part of a new FACS initiative called 'Communities Plus'. According to Fairfax Media's story on the announcement, the initiative will deliver approximately 550 social, affordable, and private dwellings in Gosford, Newcastle, Tweed Heads, Seven Hills, Telopea, and Liverpool, in addition to the Macquarie Park project. 

Precise details about the initiative are not yet available. It appears that all Communities Plus developments will contain a mix of social, affordable, and private residences. According to Fairfax, developers will hold the private dwellings, the NSW Government will hold social housing dwellings, and community housing providers will hold affordable housing. 

In the Fairfax story, FACS Minister The Hon. Brad Hazzard MP also describes Communities Plus as, "a new way of thinking in social housing. Many of the new social housing units will be a base for pilot programs that link housing assistance to education, training and local employment opportunities." And the FACS media release describes the project as a collaboration of "the very best in urban design, construction, community engagement and tenancy services."

Minister Hazzard will host an industry briefing on Communities Plus on 4 November 2015. 

Redevelopment of Macquarie Park, 2016-2018

The NSW Government has announced an extensive redevelopment of the Sydney suburb of Macquarie Park.

Macquarie Park is situated in northwest Sydney. It is part of the City of Ryde, though borders the North Shore councils of Ku-ring-gai and Willoughby. It is home to the Ivanhoe Estate – a medium density public housing complex consisting of 259 townhouses and apartments, and approximately 460 residents. Ivanhoe was built approximately 25 years ago.  

 

NSW Government plans to build 2500 new apartments in Macquarie Park by 2018, with construction commencing next year. The number of new residences could rise as high as 5800 between 2019 and 2031, though the Government has not actually confirmed what, if any development will take place following the first stage of construction.

Irrespective of the final scope of the redevelopment, it will represent a substantial increase in the population density of Macquarie Park. According to City of Ryde data, current density is 9.10 persons per hectare over 676 hectares. At the 2011 census, its total population was 6149. Indeed, the suburb is presently comprised mostly of university grounds, commercial properties, parklands, and low-density housing.

Effect on public and affordable housing stock

The Ivanhoe Estate will be demolished as part of the redevelopment. However, the first stage of construction will include 556 new public housing dwellings (that is, 22.24% of total new dwellings).

This represents a better net result for the public housing stock than provided for in the Macquarie Park Task Force’s development fact sheet, published in May 2012. This provided that, “If the Ivanhoe estate is redeveloped, the same number of social housing homes will be built. There will be no loss of social housing in the area.”

The 2016-2018 developments will also include an affordable housing component. Media reporting conflicts on precisely how many affordable housing dwellings will be built. The Daily Telegraph’s report, available here, says there will be 128 affordable housing dwellings (5.12%). The Sydney Morning Herald says “about 25 per cent” of total dwellings will be either public or affordable housing. Given the public housing component is confirmed to be 556, this would mean about 69 affordable housing residences (2.76%) will be built.

Effect on current public housing tenants

NSW Family and Community Services Minister Brad Hazzard has said that, from 2016, FACS Housing will assist residents of the Ivanhoe Estate to relocate to available public housing properties in the vicinity of Macquarie Park. The Minister said that FACS Housing will also offer Ivanhoe residents the opportunity to move back into Macquarie Park once redevelopment is complete. 

This is largely consistent with what was provided in the Macquarie Park Task Force’s fact sheet; “Where tenants are moved out of the estate to allow redevelopment to take place, they will have the option of moving back to the estate provided that a new dwelling is available that is also suited to their needs.”

Macquarie Park and all surrounding suburbs are situated in FACS Housing’s Northern Sydney allocation zone. FACS Housing lists current wait times in Northern Sydney for those eligible for public housing as “10+ years” for all types of dwelling. This suggests that public housing availability in the vicinity of Macquarie Park is generally very low.

Nothing announced to date gives credence to the rumour, published in a Daily Telegraph story in 2014, that “Public housing tenants could be forced to pay full rent after five years under a “work for the dole”-type public housing trial in Macquarie Park”.

Land acquisition

It is not yet clear whether any privately owned residential properties or commercial land will be compulsorily acquired to facilitate the redevelopment.

However, the Macquarie Park Task Force fact sheet states that, collectively, the State Property Authority and NSW Land and Housing Corporation already own 12.2 hectares of land in Macquarie Park. The Ivanhoe Estate is built on approximately 7 hectares. 

Infrastructure Investment

The Sydney Morning Herald report linked above says the NSW Government will invest $5 million into new infrastructure to accompany the redevelopment. The Daily Telegraph says a new school “could be built” as part of first stage of construction.

It is unclear whether construction of the school would be paid for out of the $5 million infrastructure budget, or by private developers in return for permission to undertake for-profit construction – as occurred, for example, with construction of the Homebush Bay bridge.

Windfall

According to the NSW Government’s Globe program, the land value of the Ivanhoe estate site is approximately $45,000,000. As the Government has not yet announced what, if any additional land will be utilised for construction, it is not possible to calculate additional land values.

Data reflecting projected sales figures for apartments and commercial land to be sold on the private market has not been made publicly available.

Macquarie Park and Ivanhoe estate factsheet

The Department of Planning and Environment has been taking submissions on the Urban Activation Precinct at Herring Road, Macquarie Park, which includes the Ivanhoe estate. We'll follow up on those in a future post.

For the record, here's a factsheet from the Government's Macquarie Park Taskforce, which makes a few commitments in relation to the Ivanhoe estate.

It states:

• If the Ivanhoe estate is redeveloped, the same number of social housing homes will be built. There will be no loss of social housing in the area.
• If the estate is redeveloped, existing social housing residents will be relocated to new or vacant social housing that is suited to their needs.
• Where tenants are relocated out of the estate to allow redevelopment to take place, they will have the option of moving back to the estate provided that a new dwelling is available that is also suited to their needs.