An Aussie has lashed out at locals who are against high-rise apartments being built in their ritzy suburbs, claiming their areas are ‘soulless’.
Physiotherapist Tim Ellis, 58, claimed he was miserable while living at Cremorne Point, on Sydney’s lower north shore.
The suburb is next to Mosman, which is considered one of the wealthiest suburbs in Australia, where the median weekly family income is $4,500.
It is also a contentious area as residents try to prevent plans to construct high-rise apartments, which would offer numerous affordable housing options.
Mr. Ellis told the Sydney Morning Herald that he disliked residing in the exclusive area and opted to relocate to Potts Point, in inner Sydney, 22 years ago, finding greater happiness there.
‘I used to live next to Mosman, in Cremorne Point, and I hated it!’ he said.
‘Yes, we were overlooking the harbour and bridge and Opera House, but I was as miserable as sin.
‘It felt like a soulless community of corporate people, and everyone ignored each other. So, when I came to Potts Point, it was so different.
Physiotherapist Tim Ellis (pictured) is among several individuals advocating for high-rise apartment buildings, even as some Sydneysiders oppose proposals in affluent neighborhoods.
Two proposals for four-storey and six-storey apartment buildings were lodged with the Mosman Council under the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy (pictured).
‘It felt brimming with life and energy, with numerous people, cafes, and excellent restaurants, and when I walk the dog, I constantly encounter people I know.’
Mr. Ellis joins several people residing in high-rise units who suggest that residents of low-rise areas should recognize the benefits of apartment living.
Norwest Community Association president Adam Flower, 36, took aim at those complaining about apartment developments.
‘Each tower that comes brings more services,’ he said, adding that his building includes a supermarket, shops, medical facilities and a gym.
‘I might go for a walk in Mosman or Vaucluse or Woollahra, and they are nice areas, but everyone should have the ability to live there without it being restricted to those who can afford houses.
‘These areas have to share some of the heavy lifting to beat the housing crisis.
‘Many of those objecting have never lived in apartments and, far from destroying community, apartments actually build community and make it stronger.’
The NSW government is trying to encourage the construction of housing in the Harbour City with a policy known as the Low and Mid-Rise Housing SEPP (State Environmental Planning Policy).
Accountant Judith Pearson (pictured) has challenged sweeping reforms introduced by NSW’s state government as a private citizen in court
The SEPP overrides local council planning controls and removes their ability to assess developments on a case-by-case basis.
Mosman has been given a relatively modest target of constructing 500 new homes by 2029, compared to Ryde’s 11,600 and North Sydney’s 5,900.
Even the posh eastern suburbs council of Woollahra is taking on more than three times the number of homes as Mosman, with 1,900 new builds.
But the plans have met staunch opposition, with Judith Pearson, 89, challenging the state government’s sweeping housing reforms as a private citizen in court.
An accountant who has lived near Balmoral Beach in Mosman for over three decades, she said she supports the need for more housing.
However, she has claimed the reforms enforce a ‘one-size-fits-all’ model that strips councils and communities of their ability to shape local development and protect heritage-listed homes.
‘I couldn’t just stand by and watch the value and character of what makes the area special being destroyed,’ she told The Sydney Morning Herald.
‘I thought somebody has got to stop this.’
‘Someone asked me if (the court challenge) is about being “entitled” and my reply to that was: “Yes, we are entitled because we’ve worked hard to live here. I am entitled to live here”,’ she said.
Daily Mail contacted Ms Pearson for comment regarding calls for more high-rise towers.
