Tag Archives
Sydney council’s Oxford Street planning failure
Opinion by ANDREW WOODHOUSE Our City of Sydney Council passed a motion last Monday putting its designs to vivify Oxford Street on public exhibition. Oxford Street is an ancient pathway used by the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. But why bother? Today, parts of Oxford Street are covered with black boards and look like […]
South end of George Street set for permanent pedestrianisation
By ALLISON HORE Work has begun on the transformation of the south end of George Street, between Bathurst Street and Railway square, into a “world-class boulevard.” Granite footpaths, outdoor dining spaces, new street trees, seating and lighting are all part of the City of Sydney’s grand plan to permanently pedestrianise the remainder of George Street […]
Unused lot to be transformed into new affordable housing for Alexandria
By ALLISON HORE The City of Sydney has resolved to transform an unused council site in Alexandria into 21 affordable apartments, creating more inner-city housing for low-income households. Council is currently undergoing negotiations with community housing provider Bridge Housing over the sale of an unoccupied site at 44-54 Bourke Road in Alexandria for the development […]
Vale – Reverend Ray Richmond
Memoriam by ANDREW WOODHOUSE The Reverend Ray Richmond passed away in September 2019. He was a pioneer, maverick, general good bloke, even possibly a saint. One big-name CEO told me once, “if anyone needed a job or second chance in life, Ray would employ them at the chapel to give them a reference, even if […]
Discontent over TAP Gallery DA
Opinion By Andrew Woodhouse The former TAP Gallery site at 87 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst, is subject to a NSW Land and Environment Court case beginning 5 November 2019. At issue is the new owner’s development application (DA) for a multi-storey apartment block in this historic precinct. The TAP Gallery was formed in 1989 and was […]
The shock of the new
Opinion By ANDREW WOODHOUSE In a controversial decision, Sydney Council has decided to heritage-list a range of modern Brutalist buildings. “These items are proposed for listing to recognise their significance as part of the modern movement of architecture and art in Sydney that were designed from 1945 to 1975,” says Council. However, not all owners […]
Skatepark saga continues
Opinion by ANDREW WOODHOUSE Take my one-minute quiz. Question: when is a park not a park? Answer: when its open space, the one thing that defines it, is reduced. And what if it’s jam-packed already with two cafés, mega-concrete paths, a gym, tennis courts and club kiosk, a cricket oval (complete with white picket fence), grandstand, […]
Cyclists need more bike lanes to ride
BY JESSICA DE VERA One in five cyclists have abandoned battling other motorists in Sydney because of the safety risks associated with riding, according to the Austroads’ Australian Cycling Participation Survey 2017. But the upcoming Sydney Rides Festival, a month-long event by the City of Sydney Council, is hoping to change that statistic and promote […]
Naked City: When animals attack!
Okay, it was probably a slow news day but did we really need a recent tabloid story about Hollywood pop singer, Hilary Duff, being ‘attacked’ by a flock of ravenous seagulls whilst eating lunch at Sydney's Opera Bar? Admittedly it was part of a larger story, whereby management is trialling a giant robot bird […]
Naked City: High on high-rise – low on pep!
The inferno in an illegal backpackers’ caravan ‘gulag’ in Alexandria two weeks ago demonstrated how desperate some people are to find cheap accommodation in Sydney, living as they were in a kind of third world slum. As Sydney’s skyline soars it appears there is little room for low-budget tenants in the gleaming new residential […]
