(Eveleigh Locomotive Workshop during the 1917 rail strike ex NSW State Archives)

The South Eveleigh Locomotive Workshop site has enormous heritage significance and value in terms of Australia’s social, rail and labour movement history.

The building has been sold off by the NSW Government to MIRVAC who are developing it as a retail space but are required to complete a Stage 2 Heritage Interpretation Plan before obtaining a construction certificate to begin work on the development of the site. 

As part of the consultation process, community members, heritage groups and unions proposed a range of concepts for the preservation and display of the Locomotive Workshops' material and social history, including a Workers Wall to commemorate the extensive and important workers’ history encapsulated in this site.

Local residents and heritage and union groups rightfully expect significant heritage memorials on this site.  Such memorials would be important to all Australians and ensure that the site’s significant heritage is celebrated and not destroyed or neglected.

Further information on the heritage significance of the Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops here.

The decision by Housing Minister Melinda Pavey to commit to 100% social housing in the redevelopment at Cowper St and Wentworth Park Road in Glebe is a huge win by the community and a welcome change but there’s far more to be done, say NSW Greens MPs, Jamie Parker and Jenny Leong.

Local residents and community members in Eveleigh unanimously rejected the NSW Government's plan to redevelop the Explorer Street public housing estate at a community online meeting led by Jenny Leong MP, Member for Newtown and Greens NSW spokesperson on Housing. The meeting opposed the plan to use this site to create a large number of high density private dwellings with a small increase in public housing and affordable dwellings.

The following resolution was passed on Dec 8, 2020: 

This meeting of residents expresses its opposition to the proposed demolition and rebuilding of the social housing units at Explorer Street in Eveleigh.

We believe public land should be used exclusively for social and affordable housing. These projects won’t address the social housing shortage in the inner city, they are out of keeping with the low-rise character of Eveleigh and they will displace residents for years.

We call on the NSW Government to:

1. Abandon their proposal to knock-down and rebuild this estate.
2. Develop a comprehensive plan to fund a significant increase in social housing construction in NSW and significant maintenance works to ensure every home is in good, liveable condition.

The NSW Government has announced plans to redevelop and expand the social housing dwellings on Explorer Street and Aurora Place in South Eveleigh.

Jenny Leong MP issued a media release regarding this announcement and commented, 

"As the impact of the pandemic is growing daily, we need to ask why the NSW Liberal National government is still selling us all short by planning to privatise 70% of these redevelopments which are on valuable public land.

We are holding a community meeting on Tuesday 8th December from 6pm - 7pm

We are keen to hear your thoughts on this proposal and to share our concerns about the planned redevelopment.

Register here to attend this Zoom community meeting. 

Details of this proposal and links to the Land and Housing Corporation information webinars as well as feedback options can be found here.

We have been informed by the Land and Housing Corporation that:

• the planning process will take some two years, after which residents will be given at least 6 months notice of any requirements to relocate temporarily.
• that all current residents will have the right to return to live on this site in the proposed redeveloped dwellings.
  
  

The government’s announcement of two social housing redevelopments in Glebe and Eveleigh are designed to open up valuable public land to private development rather than to maximize the development of new social and affordable housing says NSW Greens MPs, Jenny Leong and Jamie Parker.

What a strong response to our community meeting last weekend about the NSW Government plans to sell off public land to developers around Redfern and Eveleigh. Our community is united in calling for targets for affordable housing, open space, recreational facilities, schools, healthcare and active transport before there is any sell off of public land to developers. 

After it was announced that the Australian Technology Park sold off to Mirvac, our office worked hard together with the community to preserve the heritage, living history, innovation and inner-city green space at the ATP and Eveleigh Tram Sheds precinct.

We joined with community groups including REDWatch, the Alexandria Residents Action Group, and the Friends of Erskineville to ensure that these valuable inner city spaces were properly protected.