The DA fails to align with City of Sydney’s sustainability goals by not adequately addressing water and electricity usage. City of Sydney prides itself of pursuing a sustainable agenda, with the stated goal of net zero by 2050 . In their own words:

As Sydney grows it is important to design and build efficient and environmentally smart buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water use and waste generation.

Approving the current version of the DA would be an incomprehensible decision, at odds with City of Sydney's stated goals.

The proposal does not account for any wastewater collection or on-site food composting and although it includes solar panels, they are only suitable to cover the electricity of an average 4-people household. The building's energy relies almost entirely on the grid. Using a provider using 100% renewable should be a a requirement.

It is very clear from the DA that quick return on investments has bee prioritized over any other considerations, including the interest of City of Sydney, local residents, and even customers. Everywhere, corners have been cut, deliberate omissions have been made, and countless regulations have been ignored to maximize profit.

On-site composting, inspired by Melbourne's Hero appartments would allow maintaining healthy green spaces on the building itself. Surplus you say? We love compost! and so does "sustainable Chippendale". We could use some to maintain a healthy green coverage throughout the suburb on parks, parklets and swales. 

Why is city composting so good you may ask? Don't take our word for it, this comprehensive report from the Churchill institute is best in class, page 108-114 in particular.

The Development Application (DA) bypasses key planning requirements. Under Clause 7.20 of the Sydney LEP 2012, both a Development Control Plan (DCP) and a competitive design process are required—neither has been submitted. Although labelled a "backpackers hostel," the project's scale, layout, and operations more closely resemble student accommodation, which is subject to stricter guidelines (DCP Section 4.2.9). This raises serious concerns about the application’s intent and transparency. 

The DA itself acknowledges an FSR 26% above regulations, without offering any strong reason for such an increase in density, prioritizing quick profit. Our recommendation is to simply reduce the number of beds to around 400. This would alleviate impacts at all levels, let it be road safety, environmental, noise or waste management.

The proposal includes 43 new south-facing windows that directly overlook neighboring homes on Knox Street. These features introduce substantial visual and noise impacts that are incompatible with the surrounding residential character. Despite these concerns, the DA states there will be “no privacy impacts.” This position contradicts the intent of DCP Section 4.2.8, which governs visitor accommodation and prioritizes residential amenity, as well as the Chippendale Locality Statement, which emphasizes the protection of quiet, residential environments.