Issues Raised by Fox Studios Australia

Introduction

"Fox Studios is a tight concentration of many hazardous processes in a small area. Developments for “craft shops” acknowledge that industrial processes are being carried out in factory-type workshops and would ordinarily be considered a heavy industrial site (4b zoning)." (see glossary)

From Professor Chris Winders' presentation to Public Meeting at Paddington Town Hall (August 2006)

Fox Studios is an unprecedented development that has required the dismantling of important health and safety regulations to operate. These regulations, which provide the structure for decision-making about developments, are dealt with in more detail on our governance issues page.

All of these matters have implications for the NSW Government and the NSW taxpayer, as issues of liability for adverse health effects and financial losses through a lack of disclosure about the activities taking place on the FSA site.

The main focus of the health and safety problems at FSA relate to the use and storage of chemicals, the management of asbestos materials, and fire safety. Activities that are usually considered to be incompatible with high density residential areas such spray painting, fibre glass construction, pyrotechnics, MDF construction, welding etc,. are routinely undertaken on the FSA site within 5 - 30 metres of homes, schools, places of public interest, and sporting grounds.

Issues of Governance

Governance is a broad term concerned with the way in which decisions are made. In NSW, decisions about building and land use development are made using a series of checklists known as SEPP - State Environmental Planning Policy. These lists of conditions have been put in place to ensure that developments are appropriate to the surrounding area and that all the requirements have met.

This page attempts to show how the decision-making around the FSA site has failed to meet the conditions and requirements of state laws that exist to serve the public interest.

Issues of Planning

Liability - Insurance and disclosure issues and their implications for members of the public.

Issues of Public Health and Safety

Although much of the damage has already been done through the negligence of FSA and its sub-tenants, this has been made possible by the actions of a much wider group of people. Most of whom bear the ultimate responsibility for the health and well-being of the public.

Issues of Liability

Fox Studios Australia and their sub-tenants have exposed the local community, residents and general public who work and own businesses to asbestos and chemical contamination. Families buying into the area have been misled by both the Real Estate Institute and Conveyancers who have not disclosed the fact that their clients are indeed purchasing adjacent to a Heavy Industrial Factory Site. Those with families and those with existing health problems who might wish to purchase a property and or rent in the area are lulled into the belief if they access the City of Sydney’s website that the area is of a’ medium density residential’ a belief that there would not be any danger of ‘heavy industrial factories’ and its health implications!This then impinges on a viable and profitable ‘investment’ property purchased on the ‘premise’ that the area is a desirable residential area. Residential investment far exceeds that of Industrial investment. Potential viable net returns on the property. Renters have also been misled when seeking property to rent, believing that they are renting in an area that is residential.

The timeline of events outlines the unfolding of the health and safety provides an extensive listing of incidents and correspondence regarding the activities of tenants and subtenants on the FSA site.

See more details of the health and safety issues in our timeline of events at FSA