Environmental concerns over Rozelle marina
Leichhardt Council has endorsed a report which will form the basis of its submission on the Sydney Superyacht Marina proposal in Rozelle Bay, highlighting key concerns about foreshore access, environmental contamination and traffic issues.
The recent history of the Rozelle Bay marina has been controversial, with the owners of the site, NSW Maritime, gaining consent in 2008 for a significant expansion of the facility. The expansion includes proposals for additional berths, revised parking layout, and potential for retail and commercial offices.
Deputy Mayor Rochelle Porteous said the proposal to expand the Marina did not adequately address environmental concerns, especially those of the marine environment. “[The marina] is really likely to churn up all the dioxins in the water and kill off a lot of marine life,” she told Council’s February Ordinary Meeting.
She added that users of non-motorised boats, currently a large proportion of activity in Rozelle Bay, would be driven out by the expanded marina.
Council’s report also highlighted the lack of a “suitable outcome” for public foreshore access, owing to the lack of a continuous publicly-accessible foreshore path through the site and restricted waterfront pedestrian hours on the grounds of ‘asset security’.
Moreover, it noted the traffic analysis included in the Environmental Assessment had “not included traffic likely to be generated by the future redevelopment of Harold Park”, nor had it addressed the prospect of large events associated with conference and convention facilities on the Cruise Passenger Terminal site.
