The Hunters Hill municipality is the smallest in the state but home to many great stories of local people standing up for the preservation of public land. The first ‘green bans’ for example, emerged out of the unlikely alliance of the late, great Jack Mundey and local women as they fought together to save ‘Kelly’s Bush’.

Shelter NSW was delighted, therefore to be invited by the Hunters Hill Council to participate in a formal stakeholder engagement meeting regarding the Hunters Hill Local Housing Strategy.  Council has started the process of preparing a Local Housing Strategy (Strategy) for the Municipality of Hunters Hill, as required by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.
 
During the meeting we were very interested to hear that the NSW Government has just commenced formal planning for the re-purposing of the old Gladesville Hospital site.  Perched on a hill overlooking the Parramatta River this site has great historical significance – not just for the obvious historic use of the site but for its Aboriginal history.

Naturally, Shelter recommended that serious consideration be given to the creation of new social, affordable and specialist housing on the site.  More generally, we encouraged Council to find ways that it might engage its local residents in positive conversations about how well-designed, purpose-built housing might add critical housing stock to its community.
 
In the meantime, Shelter NSW will be keeping a close eye on plans for this important piece of government land.
 
For a reminder about the legacy of Jack Mundey check out this article by James Lesch in The Conversation from May this year.