Hello Supporters,

Firstly, thank you so much for signing our petition. It’s gathering momentum thanks to your support! We want to share an update and an important ask. 

It’s been a busy week!

1. We’ve hit over 850 signatures in just 3 days. Please keep spreading the word! It really matters.
2. The Sydney Morning Herald published a story on page 2 this morning, hearing from our neighbours Grey and Philip, and was the #2 most read story in National. The Daily Telegraph covered the issue earlier in the week.
3. We met with the Federal Member for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, the State MP for Sydney, Alex Greenwich and we’ve continued to work with the wonderful Harriet Price, an independent councillor for Woollahra. They all voiced their strong support for us.

To keep the momentum up, we have a key ask of you. 

Please send a letter as soon as possible to the Planning Minister, requesting more time for us to prepare our responses to the developer’s application. We only get 14 days once their application is made, which just isn’t enough time, especially so close to the holidays. 

We’ve included some language you might like to use below. It’s important you make the letter your own, with your own voice. You can also raise any items of immediate concern as it relates to the development.  

We need to send the letters by email as soon as possible, so the Minister can consider and prepare. Once the developer has lodged their application, each of us can then send in submissions. We’ll be in contact with you about that soon.   

In the meantime, every letter counts. 

So:

• Please write to Paul Scully, the Minister for Planning & Public Spaces, at office@scully.minister.nsw.gov.au, requesting more time
• Keep sharing and getting more people to sign our petition
• Keep writing to the developers with your individual questions and objections, at engagement.urbanplanning@colliers.com

Thank you again! 
Paddington United

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Example Letter (Please use your own words) 

Date
The Hon. Paul Scully MP
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces
Parliament House
Sydney. NSW. 2000

Email: office@scully.minister.nsw.gov.au

Re:  Paddington Tower, 160 Oxford Street

Dear Minister Scully

I write to ask that the community be given at least 28 days to respond to the application that will be made by Toohey Miller to develop the properties at and next to 160 Oxford Street, Paddington. 

The window to respond is only 14 days, which is insufficient given the impact on the affordable housing at the site, and the height and scale of the building in a Heritage Conservation Area.

In addition, because the exhibition period is likely to fall during the holiday season, our community will have to scramble to prepare submissions rather than being able to spend time with friends and family.  Many people may miss the chance to respond at all. Residents are already feeling deeply anxious about the possible loss of their homes, and this timing only adds to their stress. 

With 30 new luxury apartments and a reduction in affordable housing from 27 to 10, the development proposes a perverse application of the Affordable Housing Provisions.

[Please add any other issues you would like to draw to the Minister’s attention.  This could include the impact on the rest of Paddington, our diverse community, traffic, trees or the shadows it will cast on Victoria Barracks.]
 
Yours sincerely
[Your name]
[Your address]
 
Cc: Preservingpaddington@gmail.com