Federal member for Banks, David Coleman has called on the State Government to withdraw the latest master plan for the redevelopment of the Riverwood Estate, labelling it as 'completely inappropriate' for the community.
The NSW Land and Housing Corporation has prepared a rezoning proposal for the Riverwood Estate which provides for the construction of 3,900 dwellings ranging from three to 12-storeys.
Of these, 30 per cent, or about 1,170 dwellings, would be social housing.
The 30-hectare estate currently has around 1,000 social housing dwellings, as well as private dwellings and council-owned land.
The Minister for Planning declared Riverwood a State Significant Precinct in March, 2021, meaning that the rezoning of the precinct will be by the State Government.
The plan calls for changes to density and building forms to facilitate a range of housing types.
Streets will be realigned and there will five-hectares of new open spaces including two larger parks and three pocket parks.
The public have until September 11 to make submissions and the plan will be finalised in 2023.
"The State Government's proposal to quadruple the number of people living in the Riverwood Housing Estate area is completely inappropriate," Mr Coleman said.
"The proposal would see the population of the area increase from about 1,500 today to more than 6,000.
"Traffic and congestion along Belmore Road is already bad, and to add in so many additional residents will make the situation far worse.
"The proposal makes no sense at all and should be withdrawn. The State Government should go back to the drawing board and come up with a more sensible plan," he said.
Mr Coleman also opposed the original draft master plan for the Riverwood Estate, released in 2017, which aimed to deliver 6,000 dwells and heights of up to 20 storeys.
Mr Coleman will hold a community meeting to discuss the Riverwood Estate plan on Tuesday, 16 August at 6pm at the Church Hall, Riverwood Punchbowl Anglican Church, 9 Littleton Street Riverwood.