MAPS, PHOTOS & VIDEO | The streets targeted for rezoning in new priority precincts

New maps released by the Department of Planning and Environment show the areas targeted for urban renewal at Bardwell Park and Turrella cover less than half the existing home sites within the 400 metre and 800 metre zones indicated initially.

“We have done some preliminary investigations and brought the area of investigation right down,” said executive director, urban renewal, Brendan O’Brien.

Several hundred properties could still be rezoned for higher density development, including apartment blocks, some of which would include shops and cafes at ground level.

Streets identified for urban renewal at Bardwell Park mostly hug the southern side of the railway line, but there is a significant pocket on the northern side, adjoining Wolli Creek Regional Park.

The potential redevelopment zone at Turrella is wider and includes the industrial properties, as well as the M5 East exhaust stack, on the northern side of the train line.

A map is not yet available for Riverwood, but Mr O’Brien said the focus would be on the northern side of the train station.

The new details were provided to the Leader during an extensive interview with Mr O’Brien.

Mr O’Brien also gave an update on the Bayside West priority precincts, saying recommendations on rezoning would be be made “soon” to the Planning Minister Anthony Roberts.

He also said a new state government levy, to be paid by developers of properties in priority precincts, would be announced soon and the Bayside West precincts would be the first where it would be applied.

Residents will be able to ask their own questions about the latest priority precincts at drop-in community information sessions to be held over the next fortnight.

The Bardwell Park / Turrella session will be on July 24, from 4.30pm to 7.30pm at Rockdale Town Hall. It was to have been held in the library, but was moved to cater for the large number of people expected to attend.

The Riverwood session will be on Saturday, August 5, from 11am to 2pm, at Punchbowl Community Centre, 44 Rossmore St.

During the interview with the Leader, Mr O’Brien also said:

Can you explain the markings on the maps?

The circles are a generic application of what is traditionally known as a five and 10 minute walking catchment. It’s about the distance people walk easily in five to 10 minutes. When you are looking at planning around a train station, that’s the basic principle we take. Every precinct is different. Bardwell Park and Turrella have  a lot of challenging topography. They are in a valley and it’s not an easy walking distance when you are going up a steep hill.

So, we have done some preliminary investigations and brought the area of investigation right down, for a couple of reasons. One for that easy walking distance and two we recognise the district views in the area are important, so we are not going to go up along the ridge line and the like.

There have also been a lot of people suggesting in the media we are somehow going to develop Wolli Creek, which, of course, is ridiculous. Wolli Creek is protected and will remain protected.

What are the blue shaded areas?

They are areas of initial investigation.  It doesn’t mean they are going to change, but these are areas where we are going to look at possible change. The boundaries might not be exactly right, but it’s close enough at this stage. 

We will investigate infrastructure for the whole precinct and that may go outside of the blue areas, for instance schools, parks, roads. These are important things we need to consider. But, in terms of land use change, we think it will be limited to the blue areas at this stage. It may be less, but we certainly think it will be limited to the blue areas.

Why is blue area at Bardwell Park largely on the south side of the railway line?

In the north, it is very steep up into the Earlwood area, so it’s not an easy walk. Plus, up on the ridge, you have got some heritage and local character, and these are important things we want to protect.

Railways generally follow reasonably flat contours, providing a comfortable walk. There are some areas that back on to the railway and these are good to investigate, because you can turn apartment buildings so their back faces a noise constraint like the railway. But it’s very early days.

What sort of development could occur in the blue areas?

We don’t know yet. First we have  to look at environmental constraints such as flooding, the creek corridors and solar access. Then, we have to look at infrastructure constraints – what are the traffic limitations in the area, can roads be upgraded, what is the capacity in the network? Then, we start to look at what can we fill in to these areas. Typically, we would look at a mix of housing types, but we don’t have a view at this stage.

What could the housing mix include?

It could be anything from what people are calling “the missing middle” – low rise but higher density through town houses and dual occupancies and buildings of various heights. We would do all of this through a masterplan urban design approach and I need to stress, as part of that approach, we are very cognisant of local character and district views.

Is there a height limit on apartment buildings?

We have looked at Turrella, and the recent development near the station certainly sets a high precedent for the southern side of that suburb, which is seven or eight storeys. I wouldn’t see anything on the southern side of Turrella exceeding that precedent. We haven;t looked at the other areas yet, but that gives you an indication.

Does the Earlwood-Bardwell Park RSL Club site lend itself to anything out of the ordinary?

It’s possible. It’s a very unique and special site in the landscape and if we did look at doing something there it would have to be very carefully considered, and I suspect design excellence would be critical because it’s essentially a building that is visible from all four sides.

A reader called us to point out a major gas line runs through Bardwell Park, including beneath the club car park?

We know that, and it is definitely a consideration. It is a high pressure gas main that is part of the national grid and is the bulk carrier for Jemena. Obviously, it needs to be protected from any accidental construction interference. It runs through Turrella and on to Arncliffe and Banksia. We have been looking at it as part of the planning process for those priority precincts. Typically, it’s not a constraint to change but it might influence what type of uses we allow in that area.

Could the industrial area on the northern side of the railway line at Turrella be rezoned residential?

We don’t have a view yet. The first thing is to check, and look into the employment generation of this area and its long-term future. We certainly are not going to rezone its use without careful consideration of long-term employment prospects. But, like many former industrial areas of Sydney, these areas are in decline. The nature of employment is changing, so it is worthy of consideration, but we haven’t made a decision yet. If we do make a decision to change the type of uses in that zone, then there are some real environmental constraints that we need to consider, such as flooding, impacts to Wolli Creek and the fact there is only one access into the precinct.

What effect will the location of the M5 East exhaust stack in the industrial area at Turrella have on your plans?

Before any rezoning recommendations are made, all environmental factors will be taken into consideration, including air quality.

Do residents living in the blue areas on the maps have reason to be worried about the changes that are coming?

We understand, and we accept, some people could be be anxious about the process of change and that’s why we are running drop-in sessions and working to explain the process. As we go through the process, we will begin to explain our preliminary thoughts and take them through it and the community will have their say on any future plans. I think it needs to be recognised we are working on long-term forecasts. Our priority precinct forecasts are generally of 20 years of change. So, what we are trying to do is give people certainty over the long term.

What stage are you at with Riverwood?

We have commenced work on the Riverwood Estate, which is on the northern side of the rail line and under the control of the Land and Housing Corporation. We are working with the corporation as they prepare their proposal for the estate and then we will assess that proposal. We will put that out on community consultation and let people have their say. But, we recognise the change in that estate will have an impact on the wider Riverwood suburb and we recognise the opportunity to look at the whole suburb as part of this exercise. That’s why Riverwood was declared a priority precinct. However, we are at a very early stages of planning for the rest of the suburb.

Do you have a map showing the blue areas for potential redevelopment?

No, we are still at the circles stage at Riverwood.

Will the blue areas be on both sides of the station?

We are mostly interested in the area between the Riverwood Estate and the town centre, and the opportunity for that area to be revitalised as you have more people looking for more services, such as shops, cafes. The Land and Housing Corporation proposal will be to retain the numbers of social housing on that site, but also to include some affordable housing and some privately owned housing.  Elsewhere in the Riverwood Estate, it is too early to say, but like everywhere we do these sorts of processes, we look at a mix of housing and we also look at the inclusion of affordable housing. There are a small number of houses that were part of the original Estate, but over time were sold to individuals.

If the Land and Housing Corporation is already preparing plans for that area, why is it necessary to make it a priority precinct?

There is an area between the Estate and the railway station, largely the shopping strip, which we believe could benefit from a review, given the increased population and change in demographic. We think there will be increased demand for shops and cafes and the like and a revitalisation of the station area.

What will be your approach to the shopping strips in each priority precinct?

Our priority precinct process is generally consistent everywhere, but the urban design and the master planning is unique to the place. Many of the places we are talking about today have really great local shopping strips – low rise, old traditional shop fronts. We don’t see any reason to change that. That shoptop character is something we know the community will value and will want to maintain.

So high rise apartments would be behind the strips?

They would be stepped back. You can see that has been our approach in the Sydney to Bankstown corridor.

What is the primary aim of a priority precinct?

The primary aim is to create capacity for new homes and jobs within walking distance of high quality transport like a train station or a new Metro station. But it’s not just about homes and jobs, it is also about the parks, shops, cafes, the open space, the new schools, the infrastructure that is required to support those new homes and jobs.

What are the main features of a priority precinct?

We see it as a process we undertake and bring extra resources to help councils in this planning task. We can bring other agencies to the table, like Transport and Roads, which are critical to the success of these 20-year plans. We take a masterplan approach to the design of the areas and we commission a lot of technical studies around environmental constraints and the like that we take into consideration.

What are the positives for existing residents?

The positives are that it’s a co-ordinated plan between state government and council for a longer period of time, generally 20 years. That creates some certainty for the community and proponents about how the place is going to change over time. Unlike ad hoc planning, which occurs in some areas, this is a co-ordinated approach for the whole area and it is matched by infrastructure at the district level (state government) and at the local level (council). One of the other positives is that property values are often lifted [through rezoning].

Do you concede there may be negatives for existing residents?

We accept there is anxiety about change and we accept that we go through the process that can create anxiety for people and that’s why we try to keep the lines of communication open and explain exactly what the process is and what the draft plans are.

What does the consultation process involve?

 We commence with the drop-in session for Bardwell Park and Turrella at Rockdale Town Hall on July 24. We tried hard to find a place in the local area that was suitable but it wasn’t available. The Riverwood session will follow on August 5. The sessions will explain the process to people. After that, we will be inviting people to register with us so they are on a mailing list for regular updates. We will also be pushing out social media, doing press articles and we will be doing letterbox drops for the final proposals and will constantly update our website. We have in the past met with any interested community groups. We work very closely with the local council.

What is the timeline for the rezoning process?

We will commence the necessary studies and master planing work. It will take about a year for us to get that to a level ready to put out on exhibition to the community for them to have their say. After that period, we will take the community’s comments into consideration and decide how to move forward but, generally, we package up a rezoning recommendation for the minister to consider. It’as too early to say how long it will take from now until rezoning takes place.

From what you have seen in the first priority precincts that were declared, what will be the pace of change post-rezoning?

It depends on the place and it will depend on the market of the day.

Don’t priority precincts just provide a windfall for developers?

It can be a windfall for the current landowners. It is generally the residents who get the benefit of the value uplift.

How will community infrastructure be upgraded?

There are two levels of infrastructure, with two ways of funding. There is district infrastructure, which the state government looks at, such as district road upgrades, schools, maybe some district level open space. We look at that, and we will consider a special infrastructure contribution which is just a way of levying development, so every home built in the precinct would pay a certain fee and that money would be spent in the area on infrastructure. The second level is local infrastructure and councils establish a local contributions plan, which is often known as a section 94 plan, and that will detail more road upgrades and more open space and other infrastructure.

Wouldn’t a new state government levy duplicate section 94 contributions?

It’s complementary and, under the regulations, councils are only allowed to levy for certain items of infrastructure. So we are using the special levy for other items, so working together we can get a much better package for the community.

Has the special levy been introduced in other priority precincts?

It’s been drafted, and the government is going to roll them out soon. The first, we expect, will be for the Bayside West precincts. The figure, which will be released soon, has not been plucked out of the air.  We have done analysis about capacity to pay, so we pick a number that makes development remain feasible but is substantial enough to deliver a significant fund of money over time.

Are there similarities or differences with the Bayside West priority precincts?

There are similarities in the process, but they are very different places.  All of Bardwell Park, Turrella, Arncliffe and Banksia were first established in a reasonably close period of time in history, so local character and heritage are things we need to look at but, in other ways, they are very different. They are in different view corridors, different valleys, there are different employment considerations.

At what stage are the the Bayside West priority precincts?

We are finalising our recommendations for Arncliffe and Banksia.

When do you expect they will go to the minister?

Soon. And, we expect the exhibition of the special infrastructure levy for the area soon. 

Has there been much interest from developers?

Yes, we have had lots of submissions for Arncliffe and Banksia with varying different points of view, but some of the submissions have been from people keen to develop sites.

What about the Cooks Cover priority precinct?

All the matters related to Cooks Cove are with other authorities.

Are there any lessons you have learnt from the Bayside West precincts that will be applied to the new precincts?

I think it’s really important to work with council on their local infrastructure needs early in the process. For these places to be successful, I think we need to have the district infrastructure we identify, together with the local infrastructure, working together. We will start that analysis with councils earlier with these new precincts.