Update: Demolition has now begun on 82 Wentworth Park Road Public Housing Estate in Glebe.
A coalition of residents, neighbours, architects, local groups and housing advocates has gathered at 82 Wentworth Park Road in Glebe to protest the imminent demolition of what they describe as “a perfectly liveable, 35-year-old estate.”
In 2022, the former Liberal Government began relocating tenants ahead of a proposed redevelopment. In mid-2023, residents and advocates occupied the estate for several days, drawing attention to the loss of public housing and prompting NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson to tweet that the site would remain “100% public housing, owned and managed by government.”
But with demolition now set to begin, campaigners say that commitment is being quietly walked back. The NSW Labor Government appears ready to continue the same approach seen under the Coalition: sell off public land and rebuild with a mix of private and social housing.
“We need all the homes we’ve got currently to be online—that means filling them rather than emptying them,” said Siobhan Patton from Action for Public Housing. “We’re fast becoming an eviction state, and the NSW Government is accelerating this.”
Homes NSW says its redevelopment will increase the number of dwellings from 17 to 43 and deliver more accessible, energy-efficient homes in response to demand for one-bedroom and studio apartments. But former tenants and local advocates question the logic of demolishing functioning housing in the middle of a crisis.
Architect Hector Abrahams, working pro bono, says the existing buildings can be adapted to meet accessibility standards without demolition. The community’s alternative plan would retain the original 17 flats and add new dwellings at the rear of the site. According to departmental figures, the official redevelopment would cost $25.6 million for 43 homes, while the community-led plan would cost $25.7 million for 24—delivering fewer units but a higher number of bedrooms.
“The minister seems to be convinced that the right of return is good enough for these people,” said Patton. “However, an actually restorative process would be allowing them to return to the homes they’ve lived in for decades, and compensating them for the trauma of needless eviction. If you genuinely want to improve the situation for them: repair, retain, reinvest.”
‘We Had Community’
Carolyn Ienna lived at 82 Wentworth Park Road for more than 30 years. For them, the estate was more than housing—it was home to a deeply connected and supportive community.
“We didn’t have to live in each other’s pockets, but we could call out if we needed help,” they said. “I could say, ‘Can I borrow your shovel?’ or ‘Can I have a lift to Broadway?’”
They described the front gardens as key to that connection.
“I used to grow stuff in the front yard… I also had a lot of ornaments, so I’d sit on the step, and different people would pass by and they’d stand there and we’d talk.”
“They’re removing all the front gardens. It looks like cell blocks.”
Carolyn believes the relocation process contributed to the deaths of three of their neighbours: Peter, Phil and Terry.
“Terry was the first one to be forcibly relocated. He was moved on a stormy day, soaked, confused, and given documents to sign that he didn’t fully understand. He was very sad and very lonely.”
Phil, who rarely expressed his emotions, began to open up after the redevelopment was announced.
“All of a sudden he’s talking about how stressed he is about what’s going to happen to us,” they said. He later collapsed and died in the street.
Another former neighbour is now sleeping in a tent just metres from the estate.
“They say they care about homelessness, but one of our old neighbours is literally across the road, sleeping in a tent. He was housed here for years. How is that better?”
Missed Opportunity
Despite the urgency of the housing crisis, the 17 existing dwellings have been left vacant for more than a year. Community advocates say Homes NSW failed to seriously consider a costed refurbishment and infill option that would have delivered new homes faster and with less disruption.
The proposed redevelopment provides just one additional public housing bedroom—and delays the return of tenants for several more years.
“If you look past the spin, it’s obvious this doesn’t reduce the public housing waitlist in the short term,” said Patton. “It adds delays, reduces supply, and causes unnecessary trauma.”
Demolition also comes at a heavy environmental cost. Construction and demolition waste is one of the largest contributors to landfill in NSW. With solid brick buildings already standing and ready for use, advocates say the fastest and most sustainable way to house people is to use what’s already there.
“If you genuinely want to solve the housing crisis,” said Patton, “you start by using the homes that already exist.”
Carolyn worries Glebe is just the beginning. As major redevelopments begin in areas like Waterloo, the human cost may only grow.
“There will be more deaths in Waterloo,” they said. “If this is what happens to people—if this is how it’s done—there will be more deaths.”