Stop overdevelopment at Blackwattle Bay

Following the relocation and redevelopment of the Sydney Fish Markets Infrastructure NSW is seeking the approval of the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces to change the city's planning controls to allow towers up to 45 storeys to be built on the former Fish Markets site.

The development will monster the foreshore, cast shadows on the solar panels of the new Fish Market and limit public access to Blackwattle Bay forever.

Blackwattle bay

Instead of doing what is best for our community and the city, the government is trying to generate as much money as possible from this site to cover the ballooning $750 million cost of the Sydney Fish Market relocation.

The State Significant Precinct Study exhibition period closed 20 August 2021. Please make a submission to tell the government that our community wants a plan for this site that prioritises public access and greenspace not over-development.

A number of local community organisations are also opposed to this proposal including the Glebe Society, Pyrmont Action, Bays Community Coalition and Ultimo Village Voice.

Make a submission to protect Blackwattle Bay

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Click 'I want to write my own message' to read the pre-filled submission then personalise your submission by editing the content and/or including a unique subject line.

To Planning, Infrastructure and Environment,
I am writing to make an objection to the State Significant Precinct Study.
While it is clear that this site needs to be renewed following the relocation of the Sydney Fish Markets, the proposed rezoning and changes to planning controls that have been put to the public at this time are in my view unacceptable.
Our community wants a plan for this site that prioritises public access to the waterfront and greenspace not over-development. In particular, I’m concerned that:
High-density housing development will monster the foreshore and overwhelm local infrastructure
The proposal would see up to 1,550 apartments allowed on the current Sydney Fish Market site in 45 storey towers. The residential towers will be taller than the Anzac Bridge pylons and will monster the foreshore.
Residential development at this scale will put overwhelming pressure on local schools, parks and basic infrastructure which are already at capacity.
The proposed controls are designed to set out the maximum potential yield for the site and without specific mechanisms to prohibit modification applications, proposals to increase Floor Space Ratios, building heights and footprints are likely to follow.
The proposal will also create an imposing wall of towers on the site which will even overshadow public space and even cast shade over the solar panels on the new Sydney Fish Market development. This project can’t even comply with the absolute minimum standard for solar access on public spaces. It is disappointing that the approach of Infrastructure NSW is focused on realising a business case rather than providing best practice in design and planning.
Lack of provision for social and affordable housing
This proposal completely fails to address the critical need for social and affordable housing. While other jurisdictions around the world are delivering a 50% mix of affordable housing in similar developments, this proposal offers a miserable 5%. It is especially important to ensure there is a diverse housing mix when development occurs on public land, as this one does.
Cumulative impacts on traffic, public transport and local parking
Once the new Sydney Fish Market is built, visitor numbers are expected to double to 6 million a year, in addition to the 1,550 new apartments now being proposed. The transport modelling fails to adequately address the cumulative impact of both the Fish Market and the proposed residential development.
Transport access is inadequate with the light rail currently at capacity (pre-COVID) with minimal opportunity for expansion, the on-demand ferry to the Fish Market was a failure and the proposed Sydney Metro stop is a significant distance from the site, not to mention inhibited pedestrian access.
Lack of quality open greenspace
This proposal would see 70% of this site dedicated to the private use of residents, offices and shops. The remaining 30% will be used for walk-ways, roads and a small portion of greenspace – much of which is actually under the Western Distributor in shade.
COVID-19 has made it abundantly clear that accessible public space is a key ingredient of healthy and liveable places. Proposing to lock-up 70% of this site for private use is unacceptable.
Reduced public access to the foreshore
While residents may be able to walk along the foreshore on a narrow 10m wide path under this proposal, this walk won’t look anything like the existing naturalised Glebe Foreshore which is characterised by parks – Jubilee, Federal, Blackwattle Bay and Bicentennial.
The waterfront will be transformed into a glorified shopping precinct with private restaurants and businesses given prime foreshore positioning at the expense of public access. There is also the concern that private landholders in the precinct will not develop their property, raising serious doubts about the ability to deliver a connected walk along the foreshore.
The proposed public walkway could take decades to eventuate as the government is not ensuring that private landholders along the walk redevelop their sites to permit public access. Our community wants naturalised foreshore access right around Blackwattle Bay with ample space to accommodate active and passive recreation.
No mechanism for value sharing
Rezoning Blackwattle Bay will deliver once-in-a-lifetime windfalls in property value uplift to three private landholders within the precinct. These gains will be completely unearned, delivered by virtue of a change in planning controls that will allow higher and more intense use of the land, making it exponentially more valuable for sale to prospective developers.
A fair proportion of this windfall profit should be returned to the community through the inclusion of a value-sharing mechanism in the planning controls.
Considering all these factors, I cannot support this rezoning proposal and urge the Department of Planning to reject Infrastructure NSW’s application and ensure that the City of Sydney becomes the consent authority.

STOP OVERDEVELOPMENT AT BLACKWATTLE BAY

Make a submission to protect Blackwattle Bay