The forgotten suburbs of NSW

During meetings with 200 people who live in Carramar and Villawood, one consistent theme emerged: residents kept calling them ‘the forgotten suburbs’.

A still of Carramar from the 2163 in Focus documentary. Source: Woodville Alliance

During meetings with 200 people who live in Carramar and Villawood, areas the ABS qualifies as disadvantaged, one consistent theme emerged: residents kept calling them “the forgotten suburbs”.

A new report, 2163 in Focus led by the not-for-profit Woodville Alliance, put the suburbs under the microscope in an effort to identify their strengths and weaknesses. The things that would make residents happy were simple: repaired footpaths, street lighting, and train station ramps for the disabled.

The residents of Carramar and Villawood are are asking for simple luxuries, such as a ramp to help the disabled at the local stations. Image Source: Wikipedia

Carramar and Villawood, suburbs situated 25km from Sydney’s CBD with a combined population of 9600, were described as being at a substantial “socio-economic disadvantage”. They’re in the top 5 per cent of disadvantaged suburbs according to ABS figures, while the portion of Villawood that falls under Bankstown Council is in the top 2 per cent.

“The 2163 postcode spreads over to local government boundaries and two state (electorate) boundaries,” said Pam Batkin, chief executive of the Woodville Alliance.

“Because it crosses so many boundaries, it sometimes gets lost and is forgotten.”

JUST SOME GREEN WOULD BE NICE

Across NSW, 20 per cent of people live in an apartment, but in Carramar it’s 56 per cent. The dense housing left parks high up on residents’ wish lists – or at least to have the current ones cleaned and upgraded, the report found.

Fairfield City council is working on a project for the area, drafting plans to transform six residential blocks to create a 3200sq m park in between the two suburbs.

Ms Batkin, who has been working in the area for eight years, describes the million-dollar park as a start, but warns it’s not enough to offset the population growth that’s incoming with new developments.

Fairfield Council is planning to transform six residential blocks into a new park in Villawood.

“[Carramar] has low relative levels of public open space. It’s a good start, but more needs to be done,” she said.

Recently, Fairfield City Council adopted a study that would see 12 storey apartments built in the town centre. More money will need to be invested in the area to not only prevent it from slipping behind, but to make sure it can catch up, Ms Batkin said.

“It’s going to have quite an impact,” she said, of the Villawood Town Centre design study.

“We asked council to close off the main street and have that as a residential precinct. People said they’d love to have a place where they could sit, with the shops on both sides and the train station next door.”

But whether or not the town gets the residential precinct depends on government support, she said.

“This is about listening to the community and taking their concerns seriously.”