A snapshot of the Waverley LGA public forum
Last night over 140 Waverley residents, urban planners, experts and community leaders came together for a public forum at the Bondi Pavillion, hosted by The Better Cities Initiative, to explore local housing and development challenges and opportunities. The forum also looked at how citizen-led approaches can be a pathway for building consensus and delivering better outcomes.
Moderated by Wendy Harmer, the What’s next for Waverley? forum provided a platform for open discussion on housing growth, affordability, sustainability, and how we can create more liveable and vibrant neighbourhoods.
Key themes and issues identified during the public forum include:
• Balancing density and liveability: Concern over the impact of high-density housing on green space, traffic and essential services.
• Housing diversity and affordability: The need for a broader mix of housing options to maintain Waverley’s diverse community.
• Sustainability and resilience: Protecting the local environment and community, including from the impacts of climate change and severe weather.
• Protecting local character: Respecting local history, heritage and values. The forum closed with a poll revealing that 80% of attendees support a Citizens’ Assembly approach to addressing these major housing, planning and development challenges.
Dr Elizabeth Farrelly, Founder and CEO Better Cities Initiative, said the forum reinforced both the need and demand for a community-driven approach:
“Last night’s Waverley forum was about listening. A free public forum with no agenda to discuss these important issues and how we can best find solutions. It’s clear that our cities must densify to stop sprawl and enhance affordability and sustainability. But this must be done in a way that aligns with the views and needs of local residents.”
“A common thread of the discussion was that people are not being heard. This forum confirmed that locals want to be part of the solution, and that they can bring real wisdom to the table. Citizens’ Assemblies are a proven way to harness this and build productive consensus and better neighbourhoods. They also help build trust and take the divisiveness and politics out of planning.”
Speakers and attendees shared diverse perspectives on how Waverley and Sydney can meet housing targets while maintaining neighbourhood character and quality of life Prof.
Philip Thalis (architect, urbanist, local, 2024 AIA Gold Medallist) said: “We have a crisis of equity, affordability, density and design. We must reject the false narrative of NIMBY vs YIMBY, it’s more complicated than that. We need to think local and act local. What we need is balance. We know our city has competing, diverse agendas, we need to do a much better job of balancing them all together.”
Philip Graus (architect and local) said: “I’ve become obsessed with planning governance. It’s the most critical element in improving outcomes. The problem is, NSW and local governments aren’t working well together to deliver outcomes. Both levels need to be mediated through a process where the community actively participates, rather than being passively consulted. An interactive process is required.”
Emeritus Professor Shirley Alexander AM said: “If we do nothing, Waverley will continue its journey to becoming an enclave for the rich. We must pressure governments all levels to do something radical and engage in more innovative approaches to housing. There are many models around the world we can look to. A diversity of options is key. It also imperative that we maintain the diversity of our community to ensure more inclusive decision making.”
Richard Walsh (author and publisher): “Maybe we shouldn’t blame the politicians. Maybe we should blame the system. There are new approaches, including through technology, and better ways to deliver real democracy. We need to put our democracy up on the hoist and examine it and look for ways to make it deliver better results.”
What’s next?
The Waverley public forum follows the success of an event in Ku-ring-gai in October 2024, where 90% of attendees supported a Citizens’ Assembly approach to housing and development. Building on this momentum, The Better Cities Initiative will host its next public forum on the Northern Beaches in late February, continuing the conversation about how communities can take a more active role in shaping urban development. The public forums are the first stage in a three-stage Citizens’ Assembly process that aims to culminate in a community-driven Local NSW Citizens’ Charter for Better Neighbourhoods, that can be a model for better, citizen-led urban planning.