Today’s rezoning approval officially rubber stamps the destruction of the Waterloo South public housing estate and will force hundreds of Waterloo residents out of their home. 

Member for Newtown and Greens Housing Spokesperson Jenny Leong said:

“Today’s approval rubber stamps the unacceptable destruction of public housing in Waterloo and will force hundreds of people out of their home and the community they’ve lived in for years.  

“Like many public housing estates, Waterloo has been neglected by successive governments who have underfunded maintenance and let our public housing deteriorate to justify the widescale sell off of public land.

“The Waterloo community has resisted this redevelopment since it was shamefully first announced just before Christmas in 2015. 

“Since then the housing crisis has only gotten worse and the chronic lack of public and affordable housing in Sydney and throughout NSW has intensified. 

“This could have been a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address the housing and inequality crisis and genuinely invest in a massive increase of public housing in the inner city 

“Disgracefully this rezoning will see a huge amount of public land sold off and turned over to the private housing market for private profit, for a measly increase in the number of social housing units. 

“Right now there are more than 100,000 people on the public housing waiting list, some of whom have been waiting for over a decade. This rezoning will do nothing to meet their immediate need for safe and secure housing. 

“This destruction isn't inevitable. NSW Labor must commit to stopping the demolition and co-designing a renewal strategy with the community that keeps people in their homes and ensures the site remains 100% public housing - not a plaything for private developers.

“The Greens stand in solidarity with all Waterloo residents now facing forced relocations. We will always defend public housing and everyone’s right to a safe, secure and affordable home.,” Ms Leong said.

Just days after committing to ending no grounds evictions, NSW Labor have teamed up with the Liberal National Government to block the Greens bill to end no grounds evictions.

Greens and Independent MP’s voted in NSW Parliament this afternoon for the Residential Tenancies Amendment (Prohibiting No Grounds Evictions) Bill 2022 to be urgently brought on for debate and voted on before the end of the year. 

Greens spokesperson for Renters Rights and Member for Newtown, Jenny Leong MP said:  

“NSW Labor are telling renters one thing and doing another by refusing to support a push in Parliament that could end no grounds evictions by Christmas.  

“Labor’s election announcement is cold comfort for renters in this state who will spend the next six months in chronic housing insecurity waiting on an election promise that may never be delivered.

“Every month we delay means thousands more renters will face rent hikes they’re too scared to negotiate, evictions because they’re asking for repairs, or be forced to move out of their home for no reason.

“Ending no grounds evictions is not controversial. We know from housing experts and tenant advocates that it is a simple and  long overdue reform, and the reality is renters simply cannot afford to wait for a potential NSW Labor Government for desperately needed housing security.

“When it comes to addressing the cost of living crisis, election promises won’t pay the bills. Ending no grounds evictions is an immediate thing that would relieve the pressure on skyrocketing rents.

“The Greens back renters and will vote for renters rights every MP, every vote, every time.”

The NSW Liberal National Government has come under fire in questions from Greens MP’s Jenny Leong and Sue Higginson for their refusal to allow UN inspectors access to NSW prisons.

NSW is the only jurisdiction in Australia blocking the United Nations The Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment access to prisons.  

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Natasha Maclaren-Jones obfuscated the questions put to them in Question Time, demonstrating a disturbing avoidance of scrutiny and accountability.

There is a desperate and urgent need to end no grounds evictions, with new data released today showing that renters are being hit with record high rent costs and eviction notices.

Greens MP Jenny Leong last week gave notice of a bill to NSW Parliament that would end unfair, no grounds evictions and go some way to give renters much needed security. 

Greens spokesperson for Renters Rights and Member for Newtown, Jenny Leong MP said:

“Ending no grounds evictions is an immediate fix that the NSW Liberal National Government can do right now to help renters throughout this state.

“More people are renting now than ever before, many of them likely to be lifelong renters. The rental crisis isn’t going to get better without urgent and immediate action from the government. 

“Without genuine protections in place for renters, increasing supply will just continue to line the pockets of landlords and real estate agents profiting from housing.

“Ending no grounds evictions is a simple solution that would make a massive difference to renters who are too scared to negotiate rent increases or ask for repairs because they live in fear of being hit with an eviction notice. 

“It would ensure that renters can actually have stability, security, and peace of mind and a chance to put down roots in their community. 

“The Greens' simple and practical Bill could put an end to unfair, no grounds evictions before the end of the year. 

“I’m calling on all members of the NSW Parliament to listen to the renters in their community, who are being hit with rent increases and unfair evictions, and vote for this long overdue reform.”

Greens NSW MP Jenny Leong has backed federal Greens calls and urged the NSW Government to implement an emergency rent freeze to combat skyrocketing rent costs and the growing housing unaffordability crisis. 

Greens MP Jenny Leong has commented on the release of the Broderick report into bullying, harassment, and sexual misconduct at NSW Parliament.

Responding to reports that a housing crisis meeting is being held today between state and federal Housing Ministers today, Greens NSW Housing spokesperson, Jenny Leong MP has called for rent caps and protections for renters against evictions, a massive investment in social housing to tackle the waiting list, aa coordinated funding plan to fix  the decades of bad maintenance in public housing.

Responding to reports that the NSW Liberal/National Government will hit unions with massive fines, Greens Industrial Relations spokesperson, Jenny Leong MP slammed the proposal as union busting and called on the government to fix the conditions causing people to go on strike in the first place.

Abigail Boyd, Greens spokesperson for Treasury, Women’s Equity, and Domestic Violence, and Jenny Leong, Greens spokesperson for Women’s Rights, have called out the hollow commitment to women’s safety in the NSW Budget and criticised Treasurer Matt Kean for ignoring calls from the women’s sector for much-needed funding commitments in favour of meaningless announceables.

Jenny Leong MP, Member for Newtown and NSW Greens Housing spokesperson has slammed the NSW Coalition’s budget for leaving renters out in the cold and doing little to address the housing crisis .