A newspaper article characterising an affluent inner-Sydney suburb as “boring” and controlled by NIMBY boomers has sparked fury online.
The Sydney Morning Herald ran an opinion piece by Michael Koziol, who said the former working-class suburb was getting older, richer and more opposed to change, putting it at odds with its CBD fringe responsibilities.
“I hate to say it, but Balmain isn’t great,” Koziol wrote. “It’s not fun, it’s not equitable, it’s hard to get to, it has no real nightlife, it’s boring. When was the last time you heard anyone suggest: ‘Let’s go out in Balmain?’”
Old and stuck in its ways
Between 2011 and 2022, Balmain’s population grew by a modest 671 people, but the median age nudged upwards during that time, from 38 to 42.
Additional data shows that the proportion of people aged 25 to 34 who call the suburb home has collapsed by half in two decades, sitting now at just 12 per cent.
And the proportion of three of the oldest cohorts – empty nesters and retirees, seniors, and the elderly – have all leapt in the past 10 years.
“Why is this a problem? Well, these inner areas are supposed to be the city’s vibrant, dynamic and exciting heart,” Koziol wrote.
“In a successful city, it’s where young people live, learn and play, where artists and musicians and creative types meet and mingle, where they talk about politics and dating, drink, dance, and watch each other perform.
“You cannot have a thriving inner-city, with arts and culture and nightlife, if there is no ecosystem of younger people living there. Otherwise, it will just become a place of set menus, U2 cover bands and people reminiscing about backpacking in Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall.”
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