The design of residential infill development in Goulburn has again come under the microscope with plans to build more social housing in the city's west.
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The proposal for up to 16 new units on a block on the corner of Rhoda and Combermere Streets has also highlighted the lack of council input into state government projects.
Numerous neighbours have objected to the NSW Land and Housing Corporation's (LAHC) plan for the 3484 square metre block. It is proposing to demolish four existing homes, including a duplex, at 125-129 Combermere Street and 8-10 Rhoda Street, and replace them with a series of one and two-storey 'manor houses', comprising one and two bedrooms. It will also include landscaping and on-site parking.
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The Corporation wrote to neighbours in early December stating it was investigating the development and asking for feedback by December 18 on a design. However, The Post is aware that two families have already moved out of the homes and others have been given a March deadline for shifting.
Rhoda Street residents Pam and Larry Mitchell are strident in their opposition.
"Two storey homes simply don't fit in with the neighbourhood's character...They will stick out like a sore thumb," Mrs Mitchell said.
"We're opposed to the type and quantity of houses they want to build and the quality of people that will live there."
The Mitchells moved to the area 36 years ago. The existing social houses were there at the time. Mrs Mitchell says the area is dominated by long-term residents who are opposed to the plan. Many have signed a petition to be sent to the Corporation.
The couple maintain their property value will drop by 10 per cent, based on a neighbour's appraisal from a real estate agent.
"Will they compensate us for that? The answer will probably be no," Mr Mitchell said.
The Mitchells and neighbours Joanne Dungey and partner Phil Fowler are also worried about traffic and safety on the Rhoda Street school bus route. Both point to a nearby multi-unit development several years ago that was initially rejected for its two-storey form and was modified to single level.
They say despite onsite parking, cars still park on the street and fear the same will happen with the LAHC complex.
"The road is too narrow," Mrs Mitchell said.
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Ms Dungey told The Post she would accept five equivalent homes but 16 in double-storey buildings represented "a complete change" to the neighbourhood."
"What happened to rural lifestyle?" she asked.
"We don't live in the country for this to happen...To me it is being opportunistic because they can do it. The whole planning process is a farce because they can get approval and then make modifications."
Ms Dungey is also concerned about the environmental impact and questions the appropriateness of locating social homes 3.2km from the CBD.
'Modernising homes and meeting demand'
But a LAHC spokesman said the project would fulfill a need.
"As of June, 2020, there is a five to 10-year expected wait time for two-bedroom social housing properties in Goulburn," he said.
"These new homes are being built to help meet this demand and support vulnerable people and families living in the Goulburn region."
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The Corporation received 25 public submissions raising the above mentioned issues. The spokesman said these would help shape concept design which would be presented to residents and the council during a second consultation round. He told The Post that council zoning permitted single and two-storey residential homes and the proposed development complied with the zone objectives.
"LAHC will continue to engage with the local community and (the council) in shaping the final design, which will blend in with (the neighbourhood)," he said.
However the organisation does not have to lodge a development application to the council.
As for the other tenants, the Corporation says it will work "sensitively" with them and the Department of Communities and Justice, which manages the properties, to find suitable alternative accommodation.
One of the homes is four bedrooms, for which there is a two to five-year wait in Goulburn. A total 208 people were waiting for social housing as of June 30, 2020, with 10 of these deemed a priority.
The project adds to 20 one and two-bedroom units being built by the LAHC on the corner of Hume and Mary Streets. The $6.9 million development, set across two double-storey buildings, replaces five aged cottages. They will be completed mid-year.
The department says both developments will create a total 63 construction jobs. The State aims to build 80 new social homes across the south-east region.
But Mayor Bob Kirk said he'd prefer the council to have more input from the outset, noting it did not not know about the Hume Street project until the design was released.
"That was fine and it met the standards but it would be good to have some input because local government is about representing the people," he said.
"This (west Goulburn) development doesn't appear to be breaking any planning strategy. It is modernising homes and that's a good thing from a public perspective...There are positives provided it doesn't create an impost that wasn't there before."
The Mayor said he personally believed public housing should be scattered throughout the city rather than concentrated.
Construction of the Rhoda/Combermere Street homes is expected to begin later this year and take 14 months.
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Louise Thrower
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
