In the proposed redevelopment of the Waterloo Estate in south central Sydney, a public housing area with historical ties to the aboriginal community, “vibrancy” is a keyword. Over the coming two decades, the state government–owned land will be sold and transformed into a new neighbourhood with more than 3000 apartments (adding 2000 private units), 17,000 square metres of non-residential floor area, and an increase of the floor space ratio with almost 50%. But a precondition for the neighbourhood to achieve this vibrancy is a suppression of existing life fluctuations. The demolition of Waterloo South (the project’s first phase) is expected to commence in 2025. In clearing the site, 324 trees—more than 80% of the total tree population—will be cut down, 55 multi-apartment buildings will be demolished, and close to 1000 public housing tenants will be displaced. Tabula rasa is the prerequisite for the promised identity to come. This paradox, erasure as a process to generate vibrancy, highlights the combination of violence and good intentions of the large-scale master plan.