Community celebrates as planning minister scraps “20 storey eye-sore” development in Barangaroo

By AMBER GRIFFIN

NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts is set to cut a highly controversial proposal to increase building heights in the final section of the Barangaroo development. 

On behalf of development partner Aqualand, Infrastructure NSW had pursued a planning modification that would allow taller buildings at Central Barangaroo. Included in this proposal was a new 20-storey residential “tower”, with potential apartments possessing a starting price of approximately 5 million dollars. 

If the modification plans were accepted, in addition to the tower, buildings on Hickson Road would have been allowed to be between 34 metres and 44.5 metres tall – the original limit was 35 metres.

The NSW Government Architect delivered a critical report outlining that the increased building heights “did not follow the important urban language established by the Millers Point conservation area, a 73-metre tower would obstruct public views to and from Observatory Hill, a highly significant public place in the history of Sydney.” 

The architect also stated that the plans would overshadow the forthcoming Harbour Park in the morning, contribute to increases in wind turbulence at one corner of the site and potentially affect Sydney Observatory’s operations. 

Anthony Roberts was the ultimate decision maker of the proposal, telling the Sydney Morning Herald  that a planned luxury apartment tower served no public benefit, and he could see no way that approving the Barangaroo development would be in Sydney’s best interests. 

“I would expect any proposal on a scale such as this, potentially impacting public space, to provide substantial social, economic and environmental benefits to offset the loss to the community,” Roberts said. 

“Right now, I believe this proposal cannot achieve those benefits.” 

Sydney community celebrate in support of the proposal rejection

After a three-year fight opposing the 2019 established proposal, locals are celebrating the rejection of a “20 story eye sore” that would have blocked Sydney’s iconic views from the Anzac Bridge and Observatory Hill. 

President of Millers Point Residents Action Group Bernard Kelly is ecstatic about the killing off of the proposal. Kelly said on 2GB radio that the developers chose the worst targets for their development. 

“They picked on Sydney Harbour, they picked on the Millers Point Conservation Area, and they picked on Observatory Hill. Three classic Sydney icons that have thousands of years of history.”  

“It was going to have a terrible impact on the area, it really was a complete shocker of a plan.” 

Secretary of Milsons Point Residents Action Group Candice Murphy told City Hub that it wasn’t just the local community opposing this development. 

“We have supporters from all over Sydney and beyond. Beautiful public spaces with iconic views (which belong to everyone) would have been permanently blighted should this modification have been approved. The proposal was to triple the size of the previously approved D/A (Documents against Acceptance).” 

“I strongly support NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts’ recent comments about the proposed 73-metre-high residential tower at Barangaroo Central” Sydney Council’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore said. 

Anthony Roberts says “I can see no community benefit in reducing public access to Barangaroo simply to replace it with a residential tower few Sydneysiders could afford to live in.” 

“There are still a number of issues to be addressed – the lack of affordable housing, loss of public space and huge floor area are just a few. I call on the NSW Government to listen to the valid concerns of the community and formally reject this proposal” Cr Moore told City Hub. 

Fight to end proposal is not over yet 

The proposal hasn’t been formally rejected yet. Roberts’ spirited rejection of the proposal as it stands has left Infrastructure NSW and Aqualand with little choice but to either drastically redraw the plan or withdraw it completely. 

In the meantime, the prime foreshore site will be left up in the air as the developers head back to the drawing board.