Click here to read the report.

Click here to read the submission by the Society to the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA) in response to its report on the future development of the Bays Precinct released by the then Minister for Planning, Tony Kelly, in February 2011.

A proposal has been lodged for the development of a substantial shore-based facility associated with the Super Yacht facility in Rozelle Bay.  The Society's Bays and Foreshores sub-committee, along with residents of Glebe Point, has concerns about several aspects of the proposal. Its size and scope goes well beyond what could reasonably be described as support for the vessels berthed there, and more closely resembles a mini-Darling Harbour. In particular the noise that will be generated by bands playing there at night will be detrimental to Glebe residents.

Click here to read the text of the objection submitted by the Society to the Department of Planning.

GOVERNMENT RESPONDS TO THE BAYS PRECINCT COMMUNITY CONSULTATION

by Lesley Lynch

A belated response from Government

On 5 February the Minister for Planning Tony Kelly belatedly released his response to the community consultation on the future of the Bays Precinct. (Click here to read the Minister's news release.  The full response is available on the SHFA website.)

The report was slipped out without fanfare. It is too late to be of any significance in the life of this Government. And most depressingly, its proposed planning principles for the Bays Precinct are bland and weak where they most need to be tight and strong.

The report does give a fair account of our recommendations. It recognises some, but not all, of our major objectives in its list of ‘significant outcomes’. But the core of the report and the bit that matters are the proposed ‘Planning Principles’. 

Proposed Planning Principles

The Government’s Community Reference Group on the Bays Precinct (CRG) worked long and hard to achieve a consensus around appropriate and effective principles. But the report’s ‘distilled’ principles strip away any criteria that could actually ensure our objectives for the precinct would be achieved. 

Some examples:

-    The core demand of the community for years has been an end to one off, ad hoc development decisions in the Bays. These 80 hectares of publicly owned Harbour foreshore are a precious resource for the people of Sydney. We have an extraordinary opportunity to ensure that their future is planned with imagination and vision and with the public good as a dominant factor.

Therefore the first and most vehement CRG recommendation was that all future planning decisions in the Bays be on the basis of the agreed principles and an integrated strategic plan.

It is extraordinarily frustrating that the ‘distilled’ principles, and the outline of land use opportunities, are silent on this.

Perhaps this silence is simply a recognition that the Government has no intention of backing off from its long history of approving convenient, one off developments. It has continued to do just this throughout the life of the CRG and since – most spectacularly with the passenger terminal at White Bay, the designation of a preferred proponent for B1, B2 wharves in Blackwattle Bay and the current proposal for the super marina infrastructure in Rozelle Bay.   

-     There is very strong community opposition to further alienation of the Harbour foreshores still in public ownership. The ‘distilled’ principles do include retaining ‘public ownership of the Bays Precinct’. But alas they are silent on the critical second clause: a prohibition on ‘long term leases unless for public use”. Long term leases of more than 30 years are effective alienation of public ownership. (We understand, for example, that the proposed super marina developments on public land in Rozelle Bay are seeking a 99 year lease. And we won’t mention Barrangaroo.)

-    Community access to the Harbour foreshores is a major issue. Much CRG deliberation went Into developing an agreed, reasonable position on this.  The CRG specified: ‘continuous’ public access to the foreshore except where precluded by health, safety or security issues and, consistent with accepted recent practice, a requirement for a specified setback for any development fronting the bays. The norm in recent times has been 10 metres. On the basis of experience with the hugely popular, but dangerously congested, Blackwattle Bay Walk  (minimum of 10 metre setback)  the CRG recommended a 20 metre setback.

The distilled principles have reduced these to the ultimate in the non-specific: ‘promote foreshore access’ and ‘emphasisethe public domain through foreshore access and pedestrian streetscapes’!

-  There are very significant heritage items in the Bays Precinct – most notably the White Bay Power Station and the old Glebe Island Bridge. The preservation and, where feasible re-adaptation of these, was strongly recommended. The ‘distilled’ version softens this to ‘utilise heritage features as project drivers’ and, while it does call for conservation and adaptive re-use it does not specify heritage ‘items’ or ‘significant structures’. As worded this could be interpreted as requiring no more that an historical/heritage ‘flavour’. 

In Summary

What a disappointment and waste of our time!

Community members worked professionally, against the prevailing scepticism about the Government’s agenda, to develop a consensus on principles that were balanced and sensible but strong enough to protect the strategic 80 hectares of publicly owned harbour foreshores from further ad hoc, one off development.. We had the full support of our MP Verity Firth who is a senior Cabinet Minister, and both the City of Sydney and Leichhardt Councils. To little avail.

Its not just that the ‘distilled’ principles are weak. We have been further insulted by the Government forging ahead in its dying days with Ministerial approvals of major one-off developments which have no supporting strategic plan and which also breach many of the most important of the CRG’s recommended principles.

The CRG was divided as to the best location of the Cruise Passenger Terminal which the Government arbitrarily determined had to move from Barangarroo. But all are united in their disappointment and anger at the lost opportunities of the current –and now approved- plan for the new terminal at White Bay.

It breaches many of the core CRG principles, delivers little to the community in way of facilities and access and is dependent on a flawed transport ‘solution’. One could cite it as an exemplar of what happens when planning for the future of such a strategic site is left in the hands of a single maritime authority with a limited agenda and a Minister. What a waste.

Where to now?

We will continue to advocate the agreed principles put forward by the CRG –  generally and as an assessment tool for proposals in the Bays. And we can only hope that the next Government of NSW will be more strategic and imaginative and responsive to the public good in its approach to the Bays Precinct and planning.

And perhaps they will respond to our recommendation for a formal community input into the next stage of consultation on the Bays Precinct.

7 February 2011

Unfortunately a family event in the UK prevented President Lesley Lynch from attending the Society's Annual General Meeting held at Benledi on 29 August, 2010.

To read her report on the past year, click here.

Wentworth Park

7 July, 2010

 Public Resolution – Our Message to Government

This public meeting of residents from the communities adjacent to the Bays Precinct on 7th July 2010 endorses the Community Reference Group’s Objectives and Principles for the future planning of the Bays Precinct as set out in their advice to the Minister for Planning (March 2010) and calls on the Government to:

For further information contact John Brooks, Convenor Blackwattle Cove Coalition (brooksjno@iprimus.com.au) or Lesley Lynch, President The Glebe Society (llynch@bigpond.net.au; 0416497508)

To read earlier posts on this subject browse to http://glebesociety.org.au/?p=3862.

‘We want to make this meeting a high profile event to strengthen our capacity to influence the one-off developments that are already approved by Government,’ said the Convenor of the  Blackwattle Cove Coalition (BCC) and chair of the meeting, John Brooks.

‘We also need to  keep alive the long-awaited commitment by the Government to move towards an integrated and  far more strategic approach to planning for the  Bays Precinct.  

‘We have a once in a century opportunity to do something wonderful with 80 hectares of  publicly owned land, five kilometres of Sydney Harbour foreshore and major heritage items with exciting adaptive potential, most notably the White Bay power station and the Glebe Island Bridge.  

‘We must not allow Government or others’ interests to squander this opportunity to properly  plan a major phase in the ongoing transition of  Sydney Harbour to its post-industrial future.’  

The community campaign for the Bays Precinct grew out of a decision by the State Government  to establish a Government task force to develop a plan for the Bays Precinct. In addition to  the foreshores from Pyrmont to White Bay the  precinct includes the disused White Bay power station, the Rozelle railway marshalling yards, and the former car ferry wharves.  

In June 2009, the Minister’s Bays Precinct Community Reference Group (CRG) was formed to provide formal advice to Government.  On 1 March 2010 the group delivered a set of strong planning principles for the Bays and, in addition, a preliminary set of ideas for  future integrated uses of the Bays Precinct consistent with these principles.  

In its report the CRG urges the Government to put a hold on one-off, ad hoc  evelopments until an integrated vision/plan for the Bays can be developed and  to ensure that the one-off developments that are to go ahead (e.g. the passenger cruise terminal proposed for White Bay, the Bridge Road wharves,the Fish Market and Bank Street developments) are implemented in a way that is consistent  with the CRG planning principles.  

The organisers of the 7 July meeting believe  they have done well to have ‘hung in’ during a sometimes difficult consultative  process and to have achieved  a wide consensus around this advice.  They now face the formidable task of  persuading the Government to act on it.  

Glebe Society President Lesley Lynch said that now that the CRG had been disbanded, the community groups expected  the Government to reconstitute  an effective community advisory committee as part of its promised Stage 2  process in the second half of 2010. ‘But  there does not seem to be much clarity  yet about what this Stage 2 will constitute,’  she said. ‘In the interim, we have  begun post-CRG campaigning.  

‘The public meeting on 7 July is being  organised by community groups that participated in the CRG. They include  The Glebe Society, Pyrmont Action,  Pyrmont Progress, Blackwattle Cove  Coalition, Balmain Association, Annandale  Association, Sydney University  Women’s Rowing and the White Bay  Joint Steering Committee.  

‘At the meeting we will seek community  support for a resolution demanding  that the Government:  

a. establish Stage 2 of the Bays Precinct  Process with effective community input, and leading to a strategic  plan;  

b. apply CRG Principles when considering  projects which have been given initial approval (eg the cruise  passenger terminal – wherever it  is; Bank Street; the Bridge Road wharves development in Blackwattle Bay); and  

c. establish a dedicated Bays Precinct  Authority.  

‘It won’t be easy,’ said Lesley. ‘But  the time for action is now, and we need wholehearted community support to  make it work.’  

Some significant points from the CRG Principles  

Integrated Future Planning  

•  No more one-off, ad hoc planning  decisions by State Government or other planning authorities.  

•  All future planning and development  decisions relating to the Bays Precinct to be on the basis of the  agreed principles and an integrated  strategic plan for the whole Precinct  incorporating a long term (about 20 years) vision.  

Priority and Precedence for the  Public Good  

•  Protect remaining public ownership  of foreshores and harbour from  further alienation by sale or long  term lease for private use and restore headlands and heads of bays to the public.  

•  The Bays Precinct (as a part of Sydney  Harbour) is to be recognised as a public resource, owned by the  public, to be protected for the public  good.  

•  The Bays Precinct foreshore lands  to remain in public ownership for the benefit of the local and wider community.  

•  Leases on publicly owned lands and buildings limited to medium term (about 30 years) except where the  lease provides for public use.  

Access, Open Space and Recreation  

•  Creation of continuous public access  to the foreshore (except where  precluded by health, safety or security  issues) including open space corridors for pedestrians and cyclists  along the waterfront, wharves, the White Bay powerhouse and the  Rozelle railway yards, as a vital part  of the planning process.  

•  The setback of any development  fronting the Bays with a building  line of not less than 20 metres from  the foreshore.  

Housing  

•  Exclude private housing from direct  foreshore frontage and restrict housing  to a lower order priority within  the Precinct.  

•  Housing is considered to be a lower order priority within the Precinct  (except for within the Rozelle train  yards site).  

Built Form and Design

Ensure development manifests design  excellence by:  

•  Developing/redeveloping at a compatible scale at interfaces with the  adjacent neighbourhoods.  

•  Ensure the bulk, scale and location  of buildings consider local views  into, over, through and from within  the Precinct, and conserve and,  where possible, extend significant  views.

Where to find more information

An article by Lesley Lynch about the Bays campaign was published in Bulletin 3/2010 and  is available on our website, with links to the CRG report and executive summary, by clicking here.

In addition, hard copies of the executive  summary are available by emailing secretary@glebesociety.org.au.  

To read more about what is happening in the Bays Precinct, browse to Major Current Issues > Bays and Foreshores on the homepage of this website.

Many of you will know about the commencement of the water taxi service ferrying passengers to the pontoon at Campbell’s Cove from Rozelle Bay, Blackwattle Bay and Jackson’s Landing.

The water taxis can take up to 50 passengers and currently are programmed to run three services to Campbell's Cove every morning and evening on weekdays.

The introduction of this service has gained support from some sections of the community and concern from other sections.

One major issue of concern is the impact on traffic and parking at Glebe Point where the service will pick up from the wharf outside Bellevue. The parking in this area is already at a premium and the Development Application for Bellevue has just been passed by the City of Sydney. This DA will allow for the operation of a café, seven days a week, seating some 60 people. Most of the community is delighted that at long last Bellevue will be used. However there will be an impact on parking and traffic. Unlike most wharves in the Harbour there is no bus connection with this wharf.

The water taxi service will exacerbate this situation and one has to ask why such a service is not required to undertake an environmental impact study, particularly when using wharves or pontoons in closely developed urban areas.

The situation should be monitored by Council to determine any negative impacts of the service and then if necessary an alternative pick up scenario could be negotiated.

It’s a great idea but Bellevue is a greater idea and maybe there is only room for one.

- Susan Cleary

Note

Trips on this water taxi must be booked and paid for in advance. Google "Rozelle Rocket" for timetable and booking information.

NSW Maritime announced the successful bid for development of the Blackwattle Bay wharves on 27 May, 2010. The announcement is light on detail, but judging by the artist’s impression the concerns previous expressed by the Blackwattle Coalition (BCC) are justified.

The wharves are located between the Sydney Fish Market and the Hanson’s concrete batch plant on Bridge Road, and are opposite Wentworth Park. At present they are used by charter boats catering for tours of Sydney Harbour, and this will continue under the announced plan. Community concern centres on the size of orientation of the building proposed to provide storage and “back of house” services to the charter boats.

The text of Maritime’s announcement and the artist’s impression are reproduced below. Click here to read BCC’s comment on 22 August 2009 which was based on an artist’s impression released to the media at that time, and click here to read a later article published on this website on 18 May 2010.

The text of Maritime’s announcement:

A Deed of Agreement to Enter into a Lease was signed on 6 May 2010 with Blackwattle Bay Marina Pty Ltd to redevelop key sites at the southern end of Blackwattle Bay.

Blackwattle Bay Marina will carry out a $26M redevelopment of the current charter vessel wharf and the adjacent former coal bunker wharf site in return for a 35 year lease.

The new charter vessel facility will contain berthing space for a minimum of 18 vessels together with a two storey building for storage and back of house use.

The former coal bunker wharf will be redeveloped into a three storey maritime commercial/retail building and will incorporate many historical features including reinterpretation of the coal unloader gantry crane.

Once completed, the public will have full foreshore access, including a new over-water pedestrian link to the Sydney Fish Market as part of the Glebe to Woolloomooloo foreshore access way.

Blackwattle Bay Marina expect to lodge a development application in early 2011.  The precinct will be progressively opened in three stages and is expected to be fully operational by December 2014.

Artist’s impression of the development released by NSW Maritime:

Note: Subsequent to posting this image with its announcement, NSW Maritime informed the Society that the image was prepared in 2009 and does not necessarily reflect the plans of the proponent, which will not become public until a development  application is lodged later this year.

The Glebe Society is actively pursuing the completion by Sydney City Council of the foreshore walk in front of the Blackwattle Campus of the Sydney Secondary College.

This final section of the Glebe foreshore walk had been scheduled to follow completion of the major section that ends at the rowing clubs. However delays occurred – a deal had to be made with the Department of Education, there were said to be problems over site contamination, and eventually the City deferred the project due to budget constraints.

Lesley Lynch raised the issue recently with council staff and was told that it was planned to include funding for the design stage in the 2010-11 budget and construction funds in the following year.

Our local member, Verity Firth has recently reaffirmed her commitment to this project and is working with the Society to move things along.

The original plan was for a land-based path, but it is possible that the final design may be a boardwalk over the harbour. The longer-term plan is to link the school section to a walkway through the Blackwattle Bay wharves which will join to the Fish Market promenade and foreshore park.

- Bruce Davis, April 2010

The announcement of Government assistance to the Fish Market redevelopment has prompted the Blackwattle Cove Coalition (BCC) to wonder what is happening with the adjacent Blackwattle Bay wharves.

Some time ago NSW Maritime sought registrations of interest in the development of sites known as B1 and B2 – the derelict coal bunker and the wharves from there up to, but not including, the concrete batch plant.

Last year saw an announcement that a company that runs harbour cruises was the preferred candidate to develop the wharves.  No details were released, but an artist’s impression given to the media suggested that the planned development was inconsistent with the planning parameters announced for the site.

Nothing has been heard publicly since.

The decision to designate a preferred developer on this site was seen as undermining the work of the CRG and almost led to a walk out of community groups. As it appears the Government intends to proceed with this development, (as it did with Bailey’s refuelling depot and the Cruise Passenger Termin al at White bay) the CRG members will now focus on ensuring any development is consistent with the CRG Principles for the Bays Precinct as well as the existing master Plan.

BCC believes planning for these two sites should be integrated with the rest of the precinct, and in particular with the concrete batch plant site and the Glebe and Pyrmont foreshores of Blackwattle Bay, and should take into account the site’s relationship to Wentworth Park.

- Bruce Davis and Lesley Lynch, 2010

A move to Pyrmont is on the cards for the Sydney Heritage Fleet.

For several years the Fleet has been under notice from NSW Maritime to move from its current site in Rozelle Bay. This site is quite valuable and clearly the Government would prefer to lease it to a commercial tenant.

The site suggested by Maritime is under the south-eastern approach to the Anzac Bridge. This area has long been proposed as a site for a park, and the dragon boat fraternity has been promised a home there. The site was increased not long ago when the Government acquired 1 Bank Street from a private owner.

There are a number of issues to be sorted out before any clear proposal emerges, including the impact of the Heritage Fleet’s water-based presence on rowers, the location of the Heritage Fleet and dragon boat facilities, and the impact of noise from ship repair work on nearby residents.

- Bruce Davis, April 2010

The City of Sydney Planning Committee has approved a development application for a cafe at Bellevue, the 19th century cottage on Glebe Point.

A previous application had been refused in 2008 following objections from a number of nearby residents on grounds of traffic, parking and noise. The current proposal is for a cafe with seating capacity for 60 people (30 indoor, 30 outdoor).

On 3 May the Planning Committee meeting, which was attended by several Glebe Society members (Jo Bastian, Graham Budd, Carole Herriman, Sue Ingram and Jan Macindoe), agreed to approve a café at Bellevue operating form 6:30-6pm in winter and 6:30-8 pm in summer. The Society members made a strong case that waterfront walkers would not be served by the café closing at 5pm (as proposed in the recommendation to the committee), and as a business it would be less viable. 

The elegant 19th century cottage which stood derelict on Glebe Point for many year was restored at considerable expense by Sydney City Council .It is important that this State Heritage building be occupied and put to good use successfully for the long term.

The community campaign around the Bays Precinct is about to move into a new phase.

As previously advised, the Minister’s Bays Precinct Community Reference Group (CRG) provided its formal advice to Government on the 1 March. In line with our terms of reference, we produced a set of strong planning principles for the Bays and, in addition, a preliminary set of ideas for future integrated uses of the Bays precinct consistent with these principles.

We also urged the Government to put a hold on one-off, ad hoc developments until an integrated vision/plan for the Bays can be developed AND to ensure that the one-off developments that are to go ahead (eg the passenger cruise terminal at White bay, the B1, B2 wharves, Fish Market and Banks Street developments) are implemented so as to be consistent with the CRG planning principles.

The CRG also recommended the establishment of a dedicated Bays Precinct authority to replace the multitudinous authorities currently responsible for the area. This is an absolute prerequisite to any improvement in planning approaches and will be a centre piece of our ongoing campaigning. A valuable additional product of the CRG, was a highly professional and detailed illustrative plan for the Future of The Bays Precinct developed during the CRG process by 5 of its community members- showing what an imaginative and strategic approach to this spectacular site, using the CRG principles, can look like.

This impressive document sets a standard as to the kind of integrated, imaginative vision and planning we expect the Government to develop for this spectacular site. The overall CRG advice, including the exemplary Future of the Bays (though not necessarily the particular activities suggested) was endorsed without dissent at the its last meeting. The full advice can be read on the Glebe Society website – click here for the executive summary, or click here for the full report. If you want to get further information on the Government’s ongoing activities, browse to the SHFA website (www.shfa.nsw.gov.au/baysprecinct). We now have 3000 copies of a executive summary (thanks to the Minister and SHFA) which the CRG community representatives will use in their ongoing campaigning.

The Bays Precinct viewed from the west with Glebe (and the tramsheds) in the foreground.

While we think we have done well to have hung in and achieved a wide consensus around this advice, we now face the formidable, but not hopeless, task of persuading the Government to act on it. Reigniting the campaign The CRG has been disbanded.  We expect the Government to reconstitute an effective community advisory committee as part of its promised Stage 2 process in the second half of 2010, but there does not seem to be much clarity yet about what this stage 2 will constitute.  In the interim, we have begun post-CRG campaigning.

The Bays Precinct – Glebe Island in the centre.

Numbers of community groups are trying to keep the issues alive in the media and we managed to get good coverage of the CRG advice in both the SMH and the Inner West Courier in early March.  With another CRG member, I briefed the City of Sydney councillors recently on the CRG advice and sought their ongoing partnership with the community groups in the forthcoming campaign to have our principles and recommendations taken up by Government. We have sought a meeting with the new Minister for Planning and the elusive Bays Precinct Taskforce and will be writing to Premier Keneally seeking her ongoing support.  I have met and sought support on these requests from Verity Firth who, as both a member of the CRG and our local member, effectively intervened on our behalf with the minister at critical points, when the whole process could otherwise have broken down.

The Bays Precinct from Rozelle – White Bay power station in the centre.

The Blackwattle Cove Coalition, of which the Glebe Society is a founder member, has met and discussed its role in this revived campaign. Our next major step will be to hold a public meeting in late May or early June to brief our communities on the CRG advice and the Government’s process and discuss ways in which the community can influence current developments in the Bays and get action on our recommendations.  (This was a suggestion of the Glebe Society Management committee and has the obvious advantage of sustaining the alliances that were developed during the CRG process.)

This public meeting will be organised by some (and we hope all) community groups that participated in the CRG.  We want to make this a high profile event to strengthen our capacity to influence the one-off developments that are already approved by Government, but to keep alive the long awaited commitment by the Government to move towards an integrated and far more strategic approach to planning for the Bays Precinct. As we all know, we have a once in a century opportunity to do something wonderful with 80 hectares of publicly owned land, 5 km of Sydney Harbour foreshore and major heritage items with exciting adaptive potential.  We must not allow Government or others interests to squander this opportunity to properly plan a major phase in the ongoing transition of Sydney Harbour to its post industrial future. I don’t think it will be easy.

- Lesley Lynch, April 2010

Click here to view photos showing aspects of Wentworth Park that will be affected by the upgrade.

A former chair of the Blackwattle Cove Coalition once suggested that the only way to bring down the walls of Wentworth Park world be to strip off our gear on the night of the full moon and dance around the walls chanting.

Fortunately it hasn’t come to that!

As everyone knows, the walls on the western (Glebe) side of the park were replaced some time ago, and now the Wentworth Park Sporting Complex Trust and the Sydney City Council are about to finalise plans to rebuild the eastern (Wattle Street) entrance. And planning is proceeding to replace the northern (Blackwattle Bay) wall, and finally the wall near the children’s playground on the southern side. By 2013 the last remnants of the concrete block and barbed wire battlements should have disappeared. These walls are a legacy of the days of SP bookmakers before the TAB and have long been redundant.

The plans for the eastern entrance moves the existing wall back by up to eight meters from the heavy traffic in Wattle Street and creates a link between the northern and southern sections of the park. The project also involves the demolition of the old Ledger building, the removal of the infill in the arches of the railway viaduct that crosses the park, and the construction of changing facilities at the rear of the grandstand for sporting teams that use the park.

Work is expected to start in mid-June and should take 3-4 months to complete.

The project to remove the southern wall, which is part of a building, will bring other benefits as it will allow the Trust to increase parking within the complex and reduce the need for race night parking on the park to the south of the main entrance.

Although this area is outside be boundaries of the complex, the Trust is now responsible for its management and plans to upgrade it and possibly include a hard stand community sporting facility.

And in answer to the unasked question from eagle-eyed Glebe residents, the new building at the Glebe entrance of the complex is actually turnstiles required by the dog racing club for race nights. It has been carefully designed to blend in with other structures in the area.

- Bruce Davis, April 2010