White collar workers to take over the Hungry Mile

BY FERGUS GRIEVE NSW Planning Minister Kristina Keneally has announced a shortlist of companies to undertake the redevelopment of Barangaroo, the East Darling Harbour site once known as the Hungry Mile.

The shortlist comprises three consortia which include big names Lend Lease, Westpac, Multiplex and Mirvac. The Government has asked the three contending groups to prepare more detailed design and development proposals from which a final choice will be made in mid 2009.

The Minister’s announcement also referred to proposed amendments to the Barangaroo Concept Plan which would see the amount of office space on the site increased by between 50,000 and 120,000 square metres.

The Property Council of Australia expressed support for the changes. ‘The government’s proposal to increase the amount of premium office space on the site is a sensible move to ensure Sydney realises its global potential. The Property Council is keen to see this amendment approved,’ Executive Director Ken Morrison said.

But the architects who won the international design competition for Barangaroo have criticised the State Government’s handling of the project. In an opinion piece for The Sydney Morning Herald, prize-winning architects Philip Thalis, Paul Berkemeier and Jane Irwin claimed the integrity of the competition project had been eroded.

The failings identified by the competition winners included ‘the continuing lack of any commitment to creating a quality public domain, no firm proposals for public transport or integration with the city, no cultural program and a strong bias towards a monoculture of bulky office buildings to the exclusion of other uses.’

A spokesperson for the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA), which is overseeing the project, responded by saying that the vision for Barangaroo had not changed and that around half of the site would be maintained as public open space.

Ms Keneally also alluded to the Government’s vision for Barangaroo as a centre for the financial services industry in Sydney. Financial services is one of five industries the Government identified as most likely to benefit the NSW economy in its Innovation Statement released in late 2006.

The cruise ship lobby has also weighed in on the debate. Ann Sherry, CEO of cruise ship company Carnival Australia, said she is concerned that the future of the passenger ship terminal at Barangaroo is still unresolved.

‘The Port of Sydney is fast approaching capacity and this summer we will witness the first occasion a major cruise ship will unload passengers in the middle of Sydney Harbour because there are not enough berths available,’ Ms Sherry said.

The SHFA spokesperson said the contribution made by cruise ships to the energy, commerce and activity of Sydney’s CBD would be factored into its forthcoming recommendation on the construction of a dedicated cruise terminal at Barangaroo.

The SHFA expects that the construction phase of the Barangaroo project will begin in late 2009 and will take over 10 years to complete.