This proposal has been in abeyance for some time, but has now reappeared in the form of an application that gives the building envelopes and locations, but still does not include details of the actual units. The proposal is little changed from the one to which we objected last year. There is a very slight reduction in height and the removal of a storey or two on a couple of buildings.

The proposal has a long history. Originally it was to be a joint project between the Department of Housing and the City, and in that form, spread over a much larger area, the proposed density and height were correspondingly lower. Also, a fundamental objection, that public housing land was being given to developers, did not apply, or at least was less of an issue. The problems began when the City withdrew and the proposal was limited entirely to land that had been owned by Housing since the end of World War II.

As it now stands, half the apartments are proposed to be privately owned, and the other half a combination of affordable rental housing, owned by a housing organisation, and rental welfare housing owned by the Department. The Society will renew its objections.