Charles Everett's letter headed "What are they hiding? Why the secrecy in city's east?" (CWD, November 7 2020) raises a number of very concerning issues.
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First of all, there are the tenants involved.
They have been told that they will be reallocated - when? To where? and why? All unanswered questions by a State government body.
What anxiety the present tenants are left with.
These are good and law-abiding tenants, who keep their properties in very good order.
They have been treated with utter contempt by government bureaucrats.
The "why?" is interesting.
Supposedly, to demolish perfectly good brick homes to make way for more modern looking buildings of unknown design and height.
The homes involved are 70 years old - they represent the best of social housing buildings of that era - solid brick veneer not fibro or weatherboard as were the overwhelming number of Housing Commission homes of that era.
In themselves, these brick homes have a heritage significance of their very own and they should be preserved in their present state.
But what about the heritage significance of the East Orange area?
East Orange has emerged in recent years as a very significant heritage area and every step should be taken to preserve that significant heritage aspect.
Home owners in East Orange take great pride in their area and in their homes.
Just look at the number of homes in that area that have been lovingly restored and cared for in recent years.
East Orange has a great and important history in the life of the City of Orange.
It once even had its own municipal council and mayor ... but, getting back to the present problem: These three houses, obviously destined for demolition and replacement by more modern buildings, are located opposite that beautiful home "Strathroy" - the jewel in the crown of Orange East.
Next to these three houses are former workmen's cottages built in conjunction with "Strathroy" around 1872.
The same families and their descendants have lived in these cottages for over 100 years.
Then there are the heritage cottages in adjacent Hawkins Lane.
No wonder the people of East Orange are in uproar. They are justified in being so.
We are told that the state government department does not require the consent of Orange City Council. That makes an absolute mockery of Council's planning decisions and heritage rules.
The Mayor and Councillors should be so incandescent with rage that they will take immediate and decisive action to prevent this desecration of the heritage of East Orange.
So what is going on?
Apparently, the NSW Land and Housing Corporation isn't being upfront. But last week surveyors were on the site and soil samples were being taken. So something is going on.
Charles Everett is on the ball when he asks "what are they hiding" and "why the secrecy in the city's east?".
Bill Walsh
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