‘Where Is The Infrastructure?’: Housing Development on Old Fish Market Site Criticised

As the new Sydney Fish Market opens with great fanfare, plans are afoot for a vast mixed development where the old building sprawls — but some locals are speaking out to express deep concern.

1400 apartments are planned for the site on Blackwattle Bay. This includes 580 student units, with there being several universities nearby on Broadway and Parramatta Road.

A waterside promenade will connect the precinct to the new fish market, from which the Glebe Foreshore Walk leads to Bicentennial Park. The development site is near the Bank Street – formerly Fish Market – light rail station and the Blackwattle Bay ferry wharf.

With the Bays metro station beneath Glebe Island under construction, more units are expected to be built in the vicinity. This adds to calls for the Glebe Island Bridge to be reopened for pedestrians, which along with the new promenade, would almost complete an equivalent to the Bay Run in nearby Iron Cove.

Demolition of the newly-vacated building is expected to commence next year.

“Unique opportunity” for centrally-located units, says minister

Planning and public spaces minister Paul Scully said that the site of the old fish market “offers a unique opportunity for new homes in a central location, close to the CBD, public transport, public spaces and good amenity.”

Scully said that Minns Government “are pleased to be working with Mirvac to deliver the redevelopment of a 3.6 hectare site.”

He noted that the development must have 7.5 per cent of its floorspace dedicated to affordable housing. Sydney independent MLA Alex Greenwich and neighbouring Balmain Greens MLA Kobi Shetty argue that the stipulation is too low.

“The Government is continuing its work to revitalise Blackwattle Bay, with plans to deliver new homes and jobs, a one-hectare public park, and a new waterfront promenade to complete the missing link in the 15-kilometre foreshore walk from Rozelle Bay to Woolloomooloo.”

“Early stages of the project will deliver a generous foreshore promenade and an overwater boardwalk, creating new public spaces for everyone to enjoy.”

‘Where is the physical and social infrastructure?’ asks local

Pyrmont Action is a residents’ group which aims for the physical and social amelioration of the neighbourhood. The organisation told this masthead that it “remains concerned this development does not include mandatory affordable and essential services housing — nor consideration for schools or planning for how traffic will navigate such a dense proposal!”

That view is shared by Elizabeth Elenius, a well-known local advocate.

“When the strategic plan for this site was on exhibition around 2021, there were around 2,400 submissions, the vast majority of which opposed the walling-in of the Pyrmont Peninsula by the towers and podiums along the foreshore.”

“We appreciate the need for additional housing but the greatest need is for public and affordable housing,” Elenius said. “The plan indicates that there will be student accommodation, but the urgent need is for housing for key workers and those on the public housing waiting list.”

“There is no demand for commercial office space in Pyrmont at the moment with many for-lease signs. Also, where is the physical and social infrastructure? The proposed Bank Street Park no longer includes the community building included in the initial plans, or the kiosk with the northern end of the park handed over to the commercial marina and toilets.”

Minister Scully said that “construction of the Bank Street Park project, a new community park near the Anzac Bridge, will commence in the coming weeks.” Provision will be made for food trucks and a coffee cart to be parked within. The City Hub understands that the community centre was removed from the plans such that there would be more open space and a straight-line connection to the water.

Nonetheless, Elenius is displeased with the infrastructure affordances, and doubtful about the benefit that the new apartments should entail.

“We have been lobbying for an accessible secondary school to serve our students for many years, so far without success… So many of the new waterfront apartments have been sold to overseas investors, shutting out locals needing a home.”