Hunters Hill, NSW · Community Campaign
Save View Street Reserve - Protect Woolwich's Public Green Space
Hunters Hill Council is reviewing View Street Reserve, together with other small parcels of public green space across the local government area, as part of a review of road reserve land. Council's own assessment says "no disposal outcome should be assumed." But Council has also not ruled disposal out. These parcels have been public green open space for generations. They were dedicated as roads, but the roads were never built. Because no road was built, the land stayed green - and the community has used it ever since. The danger is clear: if these parcels are sold, the community loses them. Public green space, once built over or fenced off, does not come back. View Street Reserve is one of these parcels. In Council documents it is known as REM38. We are asking Council to rule out the disposal of View Street Reserve — and to rezone it to RE1 Public Recreation so it is protected for good.
Why View Street Reserve Matters
Public green open space
Open grass is where children run, where neighbours talk, where people sit in the sun, and where the community gathers. It provides recreation, social connection and mental health relief. The NSW Government's own guidance on green cover and open space recognises that: "Green cover and open spaces are important in towns and cities because they provide health, wellbeing and ecological benefits."
Green cover and open space also helps combat the effects of climate change through natural cooling, water management and carbon capture.
View Street Reserve sits beside a community of older residents
For many residents living close to the reserve - some in their seventies, eighties and nineties - View Street Reserve has long been a source of tranquillity and solace amid the chaos of city life.
If Council were to dispose the View Street Reserve and the land were ever developed, these residents would face years of construction - noise, vibration, and potentially excavation or blasting of the rock beneath. For elderly residents, that is not an inconvenience. It is a serious risk to health and quality of life, sustained over a long period.
We are not asking Council to accept this on our word. We are asking Council to assess it properly before any decision is made.
View Street Reserve has value that does not appear on a balance sheet
View Street Reserve should be valued as a whole parcel - grass, openness, access and community use together - not just as land with a dollar value.
Public open space provides health, recreation, social, accessibility and connectivity benefits. These are real, but they are not captured by market value alone.
Any assessment of this land's future should weigh those benefits against any potential sale proceeds - not simply compare the land to a price.
What View Street Reserve is used for
- Informal recreation and open grass
- A place for neighbours and the community to meet, sit and gather
- A native habitat that supports local birdlife and pollinators
- A green buffer and outlook for surrounding homes
- A pedestrian route and access to bus and ferry services as well as the Woolwich foreshore
What View Street Reserve is not
- It is not a formally constructed road
- It is not currently zoned for public recreation
- It is not protected by a plan of management as community land
That last point is exactly why this campaign exists.
What Council is considering
We want to be accurate and fair about where things stand.
Hunters Hill Council has prepared a preliminary assessment of a group of road reserve parcels across the local government area. View Street Reserve is one of them, identified as REM38. Council is reviewing these parcels together. What happens to one may affect how the others are treated.
In its preliminary assessment, Council:
- States that "no disposal outcome should be assumed"
- States that any reference to development or sale should be framed "only as a matter for investigation, not as a preferred pathway"
- Notes that the land is "currently used as reserve/open space because the road reserve has not been constructed"
- Notes that this use is "likely to generate significant local community interest"
- Identifies the land's local amenity value, informal open space function, public expectations, outlook and access arrangements
- Acknowledges that community members have identified local cultural, landscape and neighbourhood value
- States that access, frontage, road closure implications and any informal pedestrian use should be investigated
- States that legal status and road closure due diligence would be required before any disposal
- States that further investigation is needed before Council could decide whether sale proceeds would provide a broader community benefit than retaining the land
What Council has not done
Council has not decided to sell the reserve. It has not resolved to dispose of it. Its assessment expressly says that no disposal outcome should be assumed.
What we are asking for
We are asking Council to go one step further — to rule out disposal, and to rezone the land to RE1 Public Recreation so its future is secure.
What we are asking Council to do
The Friends of View Street Reserve are asking Hunters Hill Council to:
Prepare a planning proposal to rezone View Street Reserve (REM38) to RE1 Public Recreation under the Hunters Hill Local Environmental Plan 2012, and report that proposal to Council for consideration.
Resolve not to dispose of the land.
Why RE1 Public Recreation?
RE1 is the zone Council uses for public open space and recreation. Its objectives are to enable land to be used for public open space or recreational purposes, to provide a range of recreational settings and compatible land uses, and to protect and enhance the natural environment for recreational purposes.
Rezoning to RE1 would:
- Align the planning rules with how the land is actually used
- Protect the land from incompatible development
- Signal Council's commitment to keeping it open for the community
- Support the preparation of a plan of management for the land
Why we ask Council not to dispose
Rezoning is the strongest protection available through the planning system. A resolution not to dispose complements it and removes the uncertainty that has hung over residents for close to a year.
We are not asking Council to spend money on new facilities. We are asking Council to keep the land open, and to protect it on paper so it stays that way.
How to get involved
Sign the petition
Add your name to our petition asking Council to rezone View Street Reserve to RE1 Public Recreation and to rule out disposal.
Sign the petitionWrite to Council
A short, personal email to the General Manager and your councillors makes a real difference. Councillors count submissions.
You can write your own words, or use our template as a starting point.
Key points you might include:
- Your name and your connection to Woolwich and Hunters Hill
- That you support retention of View Street Reserve as public open space
- That you support rezoning to RE1 Public Recreation
- Any personal experience of using View Street Reserve
Speak at a Council meeting
Members of the public can register to speak at Council meetings. If you would like to speak on behalf of the reserve, let us know and we can help you prepare.
Contact us about speakingShare this campaign
Tell your neighbours. Share the link. The more local residents who make their views known, the clearer the message to Council.
Stay informed
Join our email list for updates on the campaign and any Council decisions.
Join the email listAbout the Friends of View Street Reserve
The Friends of View Street Reserve is a group of local residents and supporters from across the Hunters Hill community.
We came together because Council's review of road reserve parcels put the future of View Street Reserve in question. We want to make sure that the community's voice is heard before any decision is made about land that has served as open space for generations.
What we stand for:
- Protection of public open space
- Protection of green space and the local environment
- Community access and connectivity
- The health and wellbeing of local residents
- Transparent and well-informed decision-making
What we are not:
- We are not opposed to Council. We are asking Council to make a decision we believe is in the community's interest.
- We are not asking for the land to be developed or built on in any way.
- We are not making claims about Council's motives. We are responding to a process Council has itself opened.
We are an independent community group. This website is run by the Friends of View Street Reserve. It is not a Hunters Hill Council website.
Frequently asked questions
Is Council selling View Street Reserve?
No decision has been made. Council's preliminary assessment expressly states that "no disposal outcome should be assumed" and that sale or development should be treated only as matters for investigation. But Council has not ruled disposal out. We are campaigning to make sure it does.
Is Council looking at other reserves too?
Yes. Council's review covers a number of road reserve parcels across the Hunters Hill local government area, not just View Street Reserve. These are small parcels of land dedicated as roads but never built on, many of which have been used by the community as public open space for generations. Our campaign focuses on View Street Reserve, but we support protection of public green space across Hunters Hill.
What is REM38?
REM38 is the reference number Council uses for View Street Reserve in its review of road reserve parcels. It is not a land classification.
What is an unmade road reserve?
It is land that was dedicated for a road but never constructed as one. Because no road was built, the land has stayed open, and the community has used it as public open space.
What does RE1 mean?
RE1 is a land use zone in the Hunters Hill Local Environmental Plan 2012. It is the zone used for public recreation and open space. Rezoning the reserve to RE1 would protect it from incompatible development.
Will rezoning stop any future sale?
Rezoning to RE1 makes development for housing or other incompatible uses very difficult, and any future attempt to sell or rezone the land would require a fresh public planning process. It is the strongest protection available through the planning system.
Can I speak at a Council meeting?
Yes. Most NSW councils allow members of the public to register to speak at meetings. Contact us and we can help you prepare.
I don't live in Woolwich. Can I still help?
Yes. Support from across the Hunters Hill local government area is valuable. Sign the petition and write to Council.