MEDIA RELEASE: SAVE WATERLOO ENCAMPMENT RESPONDS TO NSW LABOR: THERE IS NO NEW PUBLIC HOUSING BUILD IN YOUR PLAN. NO DEMOLITIONS IN A HOUSING CRISIS
Rally to Save Waterloo at TJ Hickey Park, corners of Phillip and George Streets, Waterloo Start: TJ Hickey Park Sunday May 31, 12 noon
MEDIA RELEASE
30 May 2026
MEDIA RELEASE: SAVE WATERLOO ENCAMPMENT RESPONDS TO NSW LABOR: THERE IS NO NEW PUBLIC HOUSING BUILD IN YOUR PLAN. NO DEMOLITIONS IN A HOUSING CRISIS
The Save Waterloo encampment enters day 6, protesters respond to Housing Minister Rose Jackson’s claims their developer-led plan will increase public homes in the area and prepare to rally through the suburb.
WHAT: Rally to Save Waterloo at TJ Hickey Park, corners of Phillip and George Streets, Waterloo Start: TJ Hickey Park
WHEN: Sunday May 31, 12 noon
FINISH: At Save Waterloo Encampment, corner of McEvoy and Cope St, Waterloo
Contact Action for Public Housing: Rachel Evans 0403 517 266 | Karyn Brown 0432 409 711 Damien 0420 354 322 House You: Chels Hood Withey 0406 182 746
Background:
Labor’s promises before the 2023 election
In June 2023, NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson publicly committed to 82 Wentworth Park Road, Glebe: “No privatisation. No sell-offs. 100% owned and managed public housing.”
Chris Minns and Rose Jackson texted Waterloo public housing residents directly: “Only Labor will stop the sell-off and privatisation of public housing in NSW.”
Labor won the 2023 NSW election.
What happened next
Jackson deleted the Glebe post. The Glebe public housing estate was demolished.
This week, demolition crews moved into Waterloo South apartment blocks. Fifteen residents are still inside.
Two days after demolition began, the NSW Government announced 200 new crisis beds - but delivered over three years through competitive tenders to private sector organisations.
66,000 people are on the NSW public housing waitlist. 35,000 sleep rough every night. The government’s response is 200 beds over three years, while demolishing 750 genuinely public homes and evicting residents.
What Jackson is saying now
This week on social media, Jackson announced Waterloo South would deliver “1,050 public homes” as part of 3,300 new dwellings.
What the documents say
The NSW Government’s own website confirms Waterloo’s will be new “social homes,” not public. It will be managed by Link Wentworth Housing, City West Housing, and Birribee Housing - private community housing providers. Not Homes NSW. Not the government. So not public.
The development application for Glebe - the site Jackson personally promised would be “100% owned and managed public housing” -describes the development as “43 affordable housing dwellings for use as social housing.” Not public housing.
Of 3,300 Waterloo homes: 1,000 social -privately managed. 600 affordable (80% of market rent is not genuinely affordable) - also privately managed. 1,500 full market rate. Every home on the site, 100% will be privately managed.
Public housing and community housing are not the same thing
Public housing: publicly owned, publicly managed, rent capped at 20-25% of income. A right.
Community housing: privately managed organisations competing annually for public funding. Not a right. A contract.
Not a single publicly owned, publicly managed public home has been delivered on any site this government has demolished.
The record
2023: Promises no privatisation. Wins election.
2025: Demolishes Glebe. Sells Newtown public housing for $2.8 million.
2026: Begins demolishing Waterloo. 15 residents still inside. Announces 200 crisis beds over three years.
What the Save Waterloo Encampment is demanding
Immediately halt all demolitions of public housing
Honour the promise of no privatisation and no sell-offs
Deliver publicly owned, publicly managed public housing on public land — not corporate-community housing provider partnerships
Chels Hood Withey, House You: “Labor keeps saying public housing. They don’t mean what the rest of us mean. What they’re delivering is privately managed community housing on land that used to be 100% publicly owned. Their own documents prove it. Two days after demolition began at Waterloo, they announced 200 crisis beds over three years. Not a single publicly owned public home delivered on any site they’ve demolished. That is the record.”
Karyn Brown, Waterloo South resident for over 30 years, Action for Public Housing: “The ALP are waging a war on the poor and on public housing. We are in a housing crisis unprecedented in modern times and razing public homes for private profit is criminal.”
Rachel Evans, Action for Public Housing: “Housing is not a privilege, it is a right. Vienna has 60% of its people living in public housing. We need this here.”
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/3394097984092307
