Roseville residents seek donations to fight affordable housing development
Planning Minister Paul Scully has called a fundraising campaign by north shore residents to mount a fight against affordable housing a ‘new low’.
NSW
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Wealthy homeowners in Sydney’s lower north shore are raising tens of thousands of dollars to fight against affordable housing.
The Eastside Roseville Action Group has taken the extraordinary step of starting an online fundraising campaign to oppose a housing development that will create more than 250 new homes, four minutes walk from Roseville railway station.
The fundraiser asks residents for a “minimum” donation of $1000, to help raise a $100,000 legal fighting fund.
“Our Group needs to retain the appropriate experts to provide the evidence we need to fight this development,” the fundraiser says.
Planning Minister Paul Scully called the donation drive a “new low in opposing affordable housing”.
The nine-storey development would replace nine existing homes with 259 new apartments, including 51 “affordable” homes, on 10,000sqm of land.
The area being developed is currently home to just 21 residents.
The project is enabled by the state government’s Transport Oriented Development reforms, which are being staunchly opposed by the local Ku-ring-gai Council.
“This is the kind of innovative, well-located development Sydney needs right now,” Hyecorp’s co-managing director Stephen Abolakian said.
“Our approach has been guided by a deep respect for Ku-ring-gai’s unique character and heritage.”
However, the Eastside Roseville Action Group has called the proposal an example of “inappropriate development”.
“Funding for this expertise is the BEST (sic) chance we have of stopping this inappropriate development so that future generations can enjoy all that we do now,” the organiser said.
“United we stand a good chance, but if we walk away now, we risk losing all that we treasure in our neighbourhood. Please donate generously.”
As of writing, the group had already raised more than $48,000 to engage planners and consultants.
The Ku-ring-gai suburbs of Roseville, Gordon, Killara and Lindfield are all being targeted by the state government’s density plans, which aim to deliver 23,000 new homes within 400m of railway stations.
Advocacy group Sydney YIMBY, which is fighting for increased density around transport hubs, said the development was an example of the type of housing required to ease the supply crisis.
“Raising funds to fight housing, in the middle of a housing crisis, is wrong,” Sydney YIMBY Chair Justin Simon said.
“The Roseville NIMBYS are spending thousands to make the housing crisis worse.”
Asked about the fundraiser, Planning Minister Scully said donation drive was “staggering”
“The public exhibition process doesn’t require high-priced lawyers or consultants to have your say,” he said.
“Sadly, though, this group of residents have set a minimum price of $1000 per household to try and stop new residents being part of their community.
“It’s a staggering and un-Sydney-like attitude to our collective responsibility to address our housing challenges.”
Eastside Roseville Action Group chair Natasha Sherwood denied that the group was “fighting higher density”.
“We are worried about inappropriate development,” she said.
“It is not good enough for developers to lodge rushed applications that don’t strenuously consider all aspects of the SEARs (the consultation process), including genuine community engagement,” she said.
Ms Sherwood would not say what aspects about the development her group specifically opposed.
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Originally published as Roseville residents seek donations to fight affordable housing development
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