Public housing estate, Waterloo

These two high rise residential blocks went up in Waterloo in the 1970s. They looked surreal as the only tall buildings on the horizon in this working class suburb. Many of the students at the high school where I taught in the 1980s lived in the Waterloo estate. A strong sense of community has developed here over the decades.

Under plans for the new Metro train line which will run from Sydney's southwest to northwest, a station will be built at Waterloo. While this is welcomed by residents, associated plans for redevelopment of the Waterloo estate are not. The state government is seeking to establish a new precinct here, with a mix of commercial use and public and private housing. Residents are understandably anxious about displacement, gentrification and social cleansing, at a time when homelessness is on the rise and the need for affordable housing is growing. The economic impact of covid can only make things worse.

The local council has put forward plans which are far more sympathetic and the local public housing action group is campaigning. I hope they win.

Thanks for hosting Majoayee. Stay well all.