Industrial land across Sydney needs to be protected to preserve the city's ability to supply itself with convenient goods, jobs and services, the Greater Sydney Commission says in a new report, A Metropolis that Works.

Even if land could more profitability be used for residential development, governments cannot continue to keep rezoning factories and warehouses for new apartments, says the key advisory agency.

Article by Jacob Saulwick The Sydney Morning Herald 25 October 2018

Renewing the Sydenham to Bankstown Corridor: A prospectus for Inclusive Renewal was published by City Futures Research Centre in July 2018. We love it! 

These are short extracts, for the full report click on the cover.

"... It is not too late to reboot the planning of the corridor by a visionary renewal process that will benefit the communities who already live and work here, as well as provide much needed new housing and quality neighbourhoods for the new population who will arrive in the next twenty years.

"What cannot be allowed to happen is the wholesale displacement of the existing community and its replacement with sterile neighbourhoods that have been seen in comparable locations across Sydney. These planning blunders will be with us – and those who live in the outcome – for decades."

"There needs to an honest and open discussion between politicians, policy makers and communities about the kind of city we are and what we want to be."

Their research supports what Save Marrickville asks:

• We want sympathetic well designed development and density with proper transition zones.
  Not over development or imposing high rise.
• We would like planning control to be given back to council and the community.
• We feel it is critical that our heritage and local character are preserved.
• Marrickville’s industrial land should be preserved.
• Infrastructure needs to be planned first before rezoning.
• Affordable housing quotas must be in place.

Darcy Byrne, Inner West Council mayor via Facebook 27 July at 18:01

In a colossal win for the community we have just defeated Mirvac’s proposal for 35 storey skyscrapers in Carrington Road Marrickville

The State Government has agreed to hand back control of planning in the Sydenham to Bankstown corridor to our council and local community.

We’ve fought long and hard to put an end to developer driven planning proposals in this corridor, and today we are thrilled to take back control of planning for the Sydenham, Marrickville and Dulwich Hill communities.

I congratulate the State Member for Summer Hill Jo Haylen and local activists, including the Save Marrickville and Save Dully community groups, for their determined and successful advocacy to achieve this result.

Special thanks to Anthony Albanese MP for helping to negotiate this excellent outcome with the Government. I thank Planning Minister Anthony Roberts for listening to the community.

Today’s decision puts an end to Mirvac’s ridiculous proposal for a 35 storey high rise development, with 2600 units in Carrington Road. This really is Marrickville, not Mirvacville!

Their plan would have destroyed more than 1,000 jobs and resulted in the forced closure of a whole cluster of businesses that are central to Sydney’s creative industries.

Our new plans will be developed by the community, not multinational developers.

Darcy explained later: The Carrington Road proposal from Mirvac was entirely predicated on that site being rezoned under the Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy. That strategy will now not be gazetted and has no legal status. The existing Marrickville Environmental Plan which is an industrial zoning is the law. Mirvac's Carrington Road proposal is dead.

As reported on 9NEWS

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RESPONSE FROM SAVE MARRICKVILLE

This is a huge win for democracy and is thanks to everyone who raised their voices - came to rallies, meetings, wrote reports, talked to their neighbours, posted on social media, put up signs - and spoke up for this neighbourhood, which we all love. You guys rock!

This campaign has never been about stopping all development, just overdevelopment. We love our community and happily welcome new people to it... but for Marrickville to continue to be a great place to live and work, the community needs a real say on planning and development.

Marvellous things can happen (especially before elections) but the battle’s not over yet ... we know that high density development is still on the agenda across Sydney, and plenty of communities are still facing loss of heritage, amenity, nature and public space, as well as noise and air pollution...

So a big cheers to everyone who helped win this one, keep your Save Marrickville signs up and watch this space!

Anthony Albanese MP, Jo Haylen, Darcy Byrne, Colin Hesse - Greens, Clr Mark Drury - Inner West Council - Labor, Councillor Pauline Lockie - Inner West Council, Mat Howard Save Dully AG, RIPA Sydney, Save Our Suburbs, Sydenham to Bankstown Alliance, Greater Sydney Commission, GreaterSydney.Community, Marrickville Heritage Society and MadeinMarrickville

The Greater Sydney Commission invited community groups and the Inner West Council to meet with them on 22 May 2018.

Save Marrickville was represented by Heather Davie and Paul Mortimer, who reported that they “felt genuinely heard” by the commission.

At the meeting, community representatives put their concerns regarding development to the commission and asked that preservation of character and industrial land be given greater emphasis.

Save Marrickville also requested that the Inner West Council and the local community be given much more involvement in decisions on local development.

A copy of the Marrickville Character Study published by the Save Marrickville group, was presented to the Greater Sydney Commission. Check it out here.

Save Marrickville are organising a community meeting to let you know about our work and the developments (ha!) so far. Sign up to receive an invitation by email.

Rod Simpson (Greater Sydney Environment Commissioner), Darcy Byrne (Mayor, Inner West Council), Peter Olive (Sydenham - Bankstown Alliance), Heather Davie (Save Marrickville) and Morris Iemma (Greater Sydney Commissioner).

Also present were Greg Woodhams (ED City Planning GSC), Paul Mortimer (Save Marrickville), Mark Skelsey (Save Dully) and David Birds (Inner West Council Manager Strategic Planning).

Affordable housing is not solved by private developments.

This is why Save Marrickville opposed the mass rezoning of our suburb.

"Saddest was the Sydenham to Bankstown plan - and Marrickville, which as far as I can see will be largely destroyed." We agree with you Elizabeth Farrelly!

The report from Save Marrickville who met with Planning NSW on 14 Dec 2017 to discuss the rezoning of Marrickville.

What Marrickville could look like in 15-20 years under the NSW govt rezoning plan.

White: Single dwellings 1-2 storeys (where we are now mostly)

Yellow: Low rise housing 2-4 storeys

Blue: Shop top housing 3-5 storeys (Revolution - old RSL)

Orange: Medium rise housing 5-7 storeys

Red: Medium/high rise housing 8 storeys

Black: High rise housing. Three height categories: 9-12 storeys, 13-18 storeys, 19-35 storeys.

What can you do? First, read the Save Marrickville group's submission in regards to the plan.