Plans Revised for Blackwattle Bay Precinct
A revised concept for a significant redevelopment area on Sydney's shoreline has been made public by the NSW government.
The Sydney Fish Market will be relocated to a new $750 million complex built by Danish architecture company 3XN in collaboration with BVN and Aspect Studios. The Sydney Fish Market will be located in the urban regeneration region known as Blackwattle Bay district, which was masterplanned by FJMT.
The 15-kilometer waterfront promenade from Woolloomooloo to Rozelle Bay will be made continuous once the location of the current fish market is redeveloped.
During the public display period, which ran from 2 July to 20 August 2021, more than 2,400 submissions were received in opposition to the original proposals for Blackwattle Bay, including one from the City of Sydney that criticised the proposal as a "gross overdevelopment."
Lord Mayor Clover Moore's highlighted concerns on the absence of affordable housing in the masterplan, which made up only 5% of the proposed houses, as well as the probability of increased noise and pollution, densification caused by the proposed towers, and overshadowing.
1,500 flats were to be spread over 12 buildings with a maximum height of 45 stories in the original layout. The updated masterplan calls for lowering building heights to 35 stories, decreasing population density by 29 percent—840 fewer people would live there than under the previous plan—and reducing parking by 37 percent.
The new concept also widens the proposed foreshore and promenade boardwalk from 10 to 20 metres. It is still 10 metres short of what the City of Sydney suggested, despite being double the width that had previously been proposed.
According to the new plans, open space will also be raised to 30,000 square metres, and affordable housing will now account for 15% of all residential space, which is three times the state's goal.
According to Infrastructure Minister Rob Stokes, the government increased public space availability while lowering construction height and density in response to community criticism on the initial project.
“This vision, alongside the construction of the new Sydney Fish Market will completely transform Blackwattle Bay from a patchwork of industrial uses to a stunning stretch of Sydney Harbour open to the public for the first time in 150 years,” Minister Stokes said.
“We want this precinct to stand the test of time, which is why we’ve listened to feedback from the community and doubled the width of the boardwalk, created more open space and reduced building heights to create a more sustainable place.”
Moore, who claims that while council supports a harbour foreshore renewal, it shouldn't be done at the expense of community benefit, is still unsatisfied with the government's response.
“This is public land,” Moore said on Facebook on 29 July. “Minor tweaks to the initial plan won’t adequately address the community’s concerns about a wall of residential development located hard up against the noisy, polluted motorway, overshadowing existing apartments and public spaces.”
Up to Friday, August 26, the updated masterplan will be available for public viewing, and comments are encouraged.