Telopea: Restoration begins on Three Sisters public housing block at Wade St
Almost 150 vacant public housing units in northwest Sydney will be refurbished after a $2bn project to demolish the buildings and replace them with almost 5000 dwellings was dumped.
NSW
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The restoration of an abandoned Telopea public housing block is under way after the Minns government reversed the opposition’s proposal to build 4700 dwellings in what was supposed to be a major urban renewal project.
In October, the $2bn agreement to build the homes on the 13-hectare site known as the Three Sisters along the Parramatta light rail line was torn up after the state government described as a “dud deal”.
The homes will now be refurbished and reopened after the failed agreement between the Coalition with Frasers Property Australia in 2019.
Along with the new homes – where 22 per cent were allocated for social housing – a community centre and library were part of the revitalisation project.
NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson this week said almost 150 vacant public homes at the Three Sisters – also known as the Wade Street Towers – would be restored by the end of the year.
The refurbishment is expected to provide about 240 residents a home for the next five to 10 years while longer term renewal plans for Telopea are developed.
“Last year we put an end to the Liberal/National’s dud-deal which left the future of Telopea at a standstill and nearly 150 homes sitting empty in the middle of a housing crisis,’’ Ms Jackson said.
“This is a commonsense practical approach to help tackle the housing crisis and get homes built quickly.’’
On Friday, construction on affordable housing began at Collett Pde after the federal government allocated $17.7m into three sites at Parramatta.
Hume Community Housing will use the funds to develop 28 social and 38 affordable homes at Collett Pde (16 affordable units) Irving St (22 affordable units) and Pennant St (28 social units).
The first sod was turned at Collett Pde on Friday and construction is due to wrap up in 2026.
Construction begins on Irving St soon and is expected to be completed next year while, at Pennant St, a development application was recently approved and construction is due to begin this year.
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Originally published as Telopea: Restoration begins on Three Sisters public housing block at Wade St
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