Media release
Councillor Mat Howard
At Tuesday night's Council meeting, the Our Fairer Future Plan was adopted with amendments moved to achieve a fairer balance for Marrickville.
The amendments, moved by Councillor Mat Howard, are designed to strengthen the plan, respect Marrickville's character and still deliver the additional housing needed to combat the housing supply crisis.
The successful amendment will serve to rebalance density across the council area, removing around 20% of the locations proposed for uplift in Marrickville, which will be shifted to Parramatta Road, and some complex sites have been deferred for further consultation.
The amendments also called for investigating opportunities for more green space, community infrastructure and incentives for new public parking in the town centre.
The Warren Estate Heritage Investigation will also recommence, and the Marrickville South Flood Study will be fast-tracked.
Amendments to the original plan from the Mayor also include replicating the City of Sydney's affordable housing plan to deliver even more affordable housing.
Councillor Mat Howard said:
"This is about planning not just for today, but for the people who will call Marrickville home into the future.
"The plan delivers much needed housing while protecting the things we love about our suburb.
"The amendments I moved to the plan help achieve a greater balance in the Our Fairer Future Plan, scaling back locations proposed for development in Marrickville by approximately 20% and shifting that density north to Parramatta Road. They also keep new housing more closely focused around train stations and high streets.
"It's about striking the right balance - growing our community sustainably while protecting the character of our suburb.
"We have to act now to deliver the housing our community needs."
Key changes to the original plan
- Approximately 20% of the locations proposed uplift for Marrickville will be shifted north to Parramatta Road thanks to the partnership between the State Government and Inner West Council (around 2,000 homes)
- Parramatta Road will have more proposed uplift than Marrickville
- Density more appropriately focused around train stations
- Further sites including Key Site 6 will be deferred to Stage 2 of the Our Fairer Future plan to interrogate whether we have maximised opportunities for green space and community infrastructure
- Work to investigate heritage protections for the Warren Estate will recommence
- Council will investigate how to escalate the delivery of public parking in the town centre as part of future VPAs and other planning instruments
Some key benefits of the plan for Marrickville:
- Over 7,500 additional homes located close to the new Metro station, which will have trains every 4 minutes, and on our high streets, delivering much needed housing close to public transport
- Planning for new open space, including a new Civic Plaza (Marrickville Town Square) and the expansion of McNeilly Park
- Protection for invaluable employment and industrial land, which is critical for local employment, local economy and the creative sector
- Planning changes to help transform Marrickville Town Hall into a live music venue
- Expanding and improving active transport and walkability
View the amendment here (PDF 126KB)
