Tom Uren, the Minister for Urban and Rural Development, championed the legislation. Three thousand two hundred residents were invited to a public meeting on October 18, 1974 in the Glebe Town Hall, unveiling the details of the restoration plan. The government implemented its program of urban renewal through the Glebe Project.
In buying the estate, the federal government wanted to avoid the sudden displacement of the population and the disruption to community networks. It sought to retain the opportunity for low-income earners, families and aged people to live close to the city, as part of the wider community. It also had a goal to improve environmental conditions and social conditions of residents of the estate and surrounding area and preserve the townscape while sympathetically rehabilitating it.
Without the vision and advocacy of politicians, policy makers, community groups and local residents, the inner city, particularly Glebe, would have lost what we now see as its core value – its dynamic and diverse community.
To commemorate the principles of the legislation and the Glebe Project, a display is currently on display in the local history section at the Glebe Library. A photography competition was running during September and early October, which asked community members to capture their view of Glebe community life. Winners of the competition will be announced at a community event to be held at the site of the Tom Uren plaque.
