Residents of Waterloo social housing estate speak out

Anna Kovic has been living in Waterloo’s social housing estate for the past 48 years and she won’t be leaving unless it’s in a coffin. “I don’t want to move, they can take me only to the cemetery from here,” the elderly resident said.

Waterloo social housing estate's Anna Kovic

• Surry Hills Police charge teen after public appeal
• Myra Demetrious: Fight to save Sirius building still on the boil
• New faces of Sydney Harbour’s West Side Story production
• Former ballerina Joan Halliday celebrates 100th birthday

ANNA Kovic has been living in Waterloo’s social housing estate for the past 48 years and she won’t be leaving unless it’s in a coffin.

“I don’t want to move, they can take me only to the cemetery from here,” the elderly resident said.

She has joined hundreds of residents who are fighting State Government plans to redevelop the Waterloo public housing estates.

The Government unveiled a blueprint last month for seven towers up to 40 storeys high and another 12 towers up to 32 storeys high on 18ha of land.

But politicians have slammed the plan as a massive overdevelopment with very little extra public and affordable housing.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said: “I am very concerned that the scale of development the Government is proposing will condemn people to substandard conditions and massively impact surrounding housing, existing parks, streets and open space.”

Meanwhile Ms Kovic, who is the community garden co-ordinator, fears the gardens will be taken away.

City of Sydney Deputy Mayor Linda Scott with Waterloo residents Richard Weekes and Eddia Ma

She said the elderly in the community rely on gardening for meditation and wellness.

“We don’t want to lose the gardens, I don’t know why they don’t put a garden on the plans,” she said.

City of Sydney Deputy Mayor Linda Scott described the plans as a “dreadful proposal”.

“Waterloo’s public housing has existed for the public good for decades,” she said.

She called on the State Government to go back to the drawing board.

“Waterloo must have generous open green space and much higher levels of affordable housing than are currently proposed,” she said.

Heffron state Labor MP Ron Hoenig said he had started a petition.

“For thousands of residents, Waterloo is not just a social housing estate; it is the place that they call home.

“Some of the most vulnerable people in Australia live in these buildings, and they’ve lived in fear and uncertainty for over three years,” he said.

The Waterloo Estate provides social and affordable housing to vulnerable residents in 2012 units.