The Redfern area obviously does not have enough open green space and Marian Park represents a welcome relief to the eye in Gibbons Street. The thought of 5 and 18 storey buildings on this space is abhorrent and I cannot imagine why anybody would consider that such a proposal has merit.

I already consider the TNT buildings to be an eyesore and the new development would be approximately twice that height.

The extra concentration of traffic and people in such a small area is inconceivable. One of the attractions of Redfern is its village atmosphere and diversity and I do not think this will be enhanced by the construction of high rise buildings on a park.

The construction would turn Gibbons Street into a wind tunnel, it would mean the destruction of over 100 trees, it would mean the removal of an aesthetically pleasing area close to the station and have a negative impact in terms of congestion, both people and traffic. Natural sunlight will be reduced to the area and it will not enhance Gibbons Street in any way.

I enjoy walking past the park on my way to the station and it is pleasing to be able to see the Watertower building which would be completely blocked by such a development. Heritage buildings in Redfern should be protected not boxed in.

The opinions of local residents should be taken into account and if you speak to local residents you will be hard pressed to find any support for this ridiculous idea.

Prior to the release fo the draft plan, residents were assured this space was proposed to be a public park!!!

Cope Street is less than 100m as the crow flies from Marian Park, and its loss will have the same loss of amenity for the residents.

The draft plan has not addressed the BENCHMARKED STANDARDS FOR OPEN SPACE.

Let’s remember what the SMH said Nov 29, 2004:

“The residents of Redfern and Waterloo have only half the amount of open space as other inner-city suburbs.

But by the time a secret government plan for redevelopment is finished, they will have less than a quarter - because the existing population will have doubled.

Cabinet papers seen by the Herald show that the plan to squeeze in more people will put more pressure on open space which the Government privately concedes is already too limited.

“With any increase in the local population, open space provision will be well below the benchmarked standard,” the papers say.

Get your comments into the mix!