How SGCH are creating positive changes through the Riverwood

Once upon a time in Riverwood
How are we creating positive changes through the Riverwood North
regeneration scheme and how will this change be measured?
Patrick Ryan
Manager Community Renewal, SGCH
[email protected]
Acknowledgements
Payce Communities
UNSW City Futures
Canterbury City Council
Housing NSW (Housing Commission)
Riverwood Community Centre
Morris Iemma (former Premier and MP)
NSW State Library
Google maps
My Dad! (James Ryan Snr)
The Riverwood Community and the traditional owners of
the land, their Elders past and present.
Disclaimer*
Aerial to southwest out to Botany Bay
Riverwood social housing estate
Redevelopment
parcel of land
History of Place
WW2, military hospital, emergency housing
(Herne Bay)
Its Personal
Social exclusion, poverty, social disconnectedness and lack of housing
New public housing development
Places – American Places and Presidents
Arizona Place
Post war 1950-60’s
Truman Avenue
Roosevelt avenue
Kentucky Drive
Washington avenue
High rise buildings – Lincoln building
Community Assets
Recreation, health – Canterbury City Council
Open space, biodiversity
Community Gardens
Community infrastructure – social
support, aged care, youth
Riverwood Redevelopment
Project
Vision for Washington Park
• Integrated
community
• Mixed tenure
(private, social)
seniors
• Open space
• Increased density
Riverwood North redevelopment
• Demolish 176 existing public housing
dwellings (approx 10% estate)
• Rehouse residents with neighbouring area
(supported by NBESP)
• Construct 150 new social housing for seniors
and up to 500 private apartments
• New library, community centre and cafe onsite
• Create open large spaces via land swap
between council and state government
Contractual Framework
Two separate requests for tender/EOI for development
contract and social housing management
• Developer: Payce Communities (ASX listed
developer) awarded contract by NSW Land & Housing
Corporation.
Link to public disclosure
http://www.housing.nsw.gov.au/Changes+to+Social+Housing/Redeve
lopment/Riverwood+North+Urban+Renewal+Project/Riverwood+Nort
h+Urban+Renewal+Project+Contract.htm
• Social housing management: SGCH awarded
management rights by Housing NSW (then ‘CHD’)
Washington Park- Stage One January
2014
Stage 1 complete: 123 units
(1br/2br)
Stage 2: 27 units (1br/2br) mixed
social, private & library/senior
centre (early 2016)
Working in Partnership - Developer
Despite no contractual requirement or obligation between
SGCH and Payce we still managed to:
• Community engagement
•from day one
• Design refinement
• Amenity improvement
(gardens, streets)
• Co-designed community
orchard and edible garden
• ‘maintain the relationship’
Working in Partnership – Community
• Community Garden Club (35 members, 6 residents on
committee)
• SGCH Tenancy Outreach
Office
• Shopping Trolleys program
• Washington Park
Chess Club (XiangQi
“shyang-chee”
Working in Partnership – Community
• Tenant community demographic needs analysis
(current and future)
• Establish referral and access protocols for aged care
support providers
• Design and fitout community foyer place as a
meeting and learning place for residents
Key questions
1. What impact on displaced former tenants of demolished blocks?
2. How effectively have renewal plans been communicated/consulted on?
3. How does the project affect the estate profile?
– Housing tenure
– Economic activity
– Demographic profile
4. How well do new residents integrate socially?
5. What impact on resident satisfaction, community pride and estate
external reputation?
6. How far has developer ‘added value’ through stimulating community
activity?
7. What (if any) ‘spillover benefits’ accrue to tenants elsewhere on the
estate?
Evaluation fieldwork/methodology
• 3 fieldwork waves
• Wave 1 (2014)
–
–
–
–
Stakeholder interviews
Interviews with displaced tenants
Tenant focus groups
Residents survey – tenants of new
social housing
• Wave 2 (2015)
– Secondary data analysis
• Wave 3 (2016/17)
– Stakeholder interviews
– Residents survey – social renters and
private renters/owner occupiers
– Resident focus groups
Lessons learnt to date
• Understand the past and how people are
connected to place
• Map the ‘community capital’ and plan for the
future needs of the community
• Being too inclusive can hold you back
• Get a ‘seat at the table’ upfront
• Mind the ‘devil in the detail’ and plan for
contingencies (bins, telephones, fire safety)
Challenges & Opportunities for the
future
• Integrating the private and social residents
within Washington Park
• Integrating the old and the new (social
housing) and privates
•Construction program
• ‘Bridging’ cultural barriers and differences
(and Washington Avenue)
• Capturing the story within the research
project