11th September 09 – Marrickville Mayor Sam Iskandar says he will listen to the people

Marrickville Mayor said something very interesting in the Inner West Courier 10^th September 09 & I quote: “It isn’t up to us. It’s up to the community we’re consulting with, because it’s going to really affect the people of Marrickville for another 25 years.  I will be listening to the people to give me their advice.”

Mayor Iskandar was responding to questioning from journalist Marie Sansom for an article she wrote called ‘Draft plan allows high-rise’ with the subtitle ‘Heritage under threat, say Greens.’  In this article, she discusses Marrickville Council’s draft Local Environment Plan (LEP) which Labor & the Independent councillors Thanos, Marcri & Hanna passed at a Council meeting a couple of weeks ago.  I was there & witnessed most of it.  I left half way through the Greens amendment being tabled by Clr Peter Olive.  The next day I heard from other residents that all the councillors, particularly the Independents successfully argued against the Greens amendment. The feedback I was given was ‘vitriolic.’  It must have been a humdinger of a meeting.  They felt despondent, like high-rise was a ‘done deal.’

The meeting was filled with excitement from both the gallery & some of the councillors.  It started with each councillor having to declare pecuniary interest & listing the properties held by themselves or their families in the area.  This was very interesting & perhaps explained the excitement.  Then an 1880’s heritage building & Art Deco units were voted to be demolished.  A few weeks ago the Beynon & Hayward building on Livingstone Road Petersham was agreed to be demolished for a car park.  I’ll leave this for Marrickville Heritage Society to comment on, suffice to say heritage does not count for much with all but the Greens.

So the situation is the NSW State Labor Government intends for Marrickville council to add an extra 4000 dwellings in Marrickville by 2031.  First up is the old RSL site, which I posted on last month.  7 storeys with 2 storeys designated for retail – one space at 600 sq mts, perfect for a supermarket.  Traffic along Renwick Street going up to Woolworths was counted a couple of years ago at around 575 a day. The developer’s plans expect 590 cars per hour.  This is a mammoth volume.  Even if this means peak hour only, the traffic spill off on our streets is going to be horrendous.

This is a tree site, so I have said enough.  The September 10th edition of the Inner West Courier isn’t available on the net yet, but if you go to http://digitaledition-innercity.innerwestcourier.com.au/ you can view it when it is posted.  Note also the front page reporting that Planning Minister Kristina Keneally has backed down after community pressure over development at White Bay.  People power can be effective.  The recent opposition to the loss of the Figs has proven this.

Please contact Mayor Iskandar & tell him you don’t want 7 storey or above development in Marrickville.  siskandar@marrickville.nsw.gov.au 9558 7777 or 0408 210 618   If we sit back & do nothing, it will happen.  Mayor Iskandar says these changes will affect us for the next 25 years, more like forever I say.