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The Project Manager Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Project Urban Renewal Group Dept. Planning and Environment 320 NSW 2000

1 September 2017

Dear Sir/Madam

Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy – 2017 version

Thank you for the opportunity to comment again on the above strategy. The points made in this submission compliment the information exchanged and issues discussed at the GreenWay briefing/meeting in your former Bridge Street offices on 24 November 2015 (involving members of the Sydenham to Bankstown Team and representatives from Marrickville Council, Government Architects Office and the GreenWay Program), plus comments made in our previous detailed GreenWay submission dated 29 January 2016 (attachment 1).

The Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy identifies a number of opportunities and challenges which the GreenWay Program is seeking to address. This can best be done through a whole of government approach involving the Council, City of Canterbury-Bankstown and various state government agencies, in particular Dept. Planning and Environment (DPE), Transport for NSW (TfNSW) Team, Government Architects Office (GAO) and the Greater Sydney Commission (GSC).

We look forward to developing a constructive and collaborative approach with DPE and its state government partners with a view to resolving obstacles and achieving well-funded, holistic community outcomes for both the Inner West /GreenWay Corridor and the Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor, as outlined in more detail below.

Background re: the GreenWay

See previous submission dated 29 January 2016 (attachment 1).

A. GreenWay South West

The GreenWay Program strongly supports the concept outlined in DPE’s revised Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor for a GreenWay South West which will connect the existing Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay (at Dulwich Hill) to Bankstown, via a new active transport and urban environmental corridor along the route of the existing rail line.

The GreenWay South West will make a significant contribution to the achievement of key elements of the vision outlined in the revised Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy, namely:-

 Connecting people and jobs  Valuing (and celebrating) heritage and neighbourhood character  Improve and enhance local business (by helping to revitalise local shopping centres along the route of the GreenWay South West)

GreenWay Program submission re: Dulwich Hill Station Precinct Plan/Sydenham to Bankstown Corridor - 1/9/17 2

 Improving connectivity and open space  Collaborative planning  Infrastructure funding (ie) funding the design and implementation of a multi-purpose GreenWay South West via a SIC (state infrastructure contribution) and other funding mechanisms.

GreenWay recommendations

A1 Greenway South West The GreenWay Program strongly supports the extension of the existing Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay to create a new GreenWay South West, linking Dulwich Hill to Bankstown via a new, multi-purpose active travel and urban environmental corridor along the Sydneham to Bankstown Rail Corridor.

A2 Collaborative planning - The GreenWay Program recommends that DPE and its local and state government partners showcase the importance of “collaborative planning” through delivery of the Greenway South West. Appropriate governance, planning and funding arrangements should be put in place to facilitate a collaborative approach to planning, funding and delivering the GreenWay South West. This should involve the following key agencies: Inner West Council (IWC), City of Canterbury Bankstown (CCB), DPE, Government Architect NSW (GANSW), TfNSW (in particular the Sydney Metro team and RMS), Greater Sydney Commission (GSC), NSW Treasury. Other stakeholders may also need to be involved.

A3 Learning from past experience of the GreenWay Planning, design and delivery of the GreenWay South West should learn from and apply the experience gained by state and local government and the Inner West community during the planning, funding and delivery of the Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay over the past 15 years. It is recommended that the GreenWay South West team work closely with the IWC and other Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay stakeholders to achieve this.

A4 Use of “Better Placed” - Planning and delivery of the GreenWay South West is a good opportunity for the parties to put into practice “Better Placed - an integrated design policy for the built environment”, developed by Government Architect NSW and launched by the Minister for Planning at Bankstown Library on 18 August 2017. This process could be facilitated by GANSW to demonstrate the benefits of applying an integrated design approach to the design and delivery of GreenWay South West.

A5 Green Grid - The Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay has been identified by the Greater Sydney Commission (GSC) as the no. 1 priority Green Grid project in the Draft Central Sydney District Plan. This is because the Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay is a multi-purpose urban environmental and active transport corridor which fulfills a number of key objectives in the Draft District Plan and other relevant metropolitan planning documents eg A Plan for Growing Sydney (2014), Sydney’s Cycling Future (2013).

Extension of the Cooks River to Iron Cove Green Grid project to include the GreenWay South-West will contribute significantly to the achievement of Green Grid objectives in both the Draft Central Sydney District Plan and the Draft South Sydney District Plans. It is essential that the multi-faceted nature of the existing Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay is maintained and further developed in the design and delivery of GreenWay South West, which needs to be a lot more than a 3m wide concrete bike path!

A6 Planning controls - Appropriate planning controls and conditions need to be developed by DPE during its assessment of the Sydney Metro (Sydenham to Bankstown) state significant infrastructure project to achieve a multi-purpose GreenWay South West which

GreenWay Program submission re: Dulwich Hill Station Precinct Plan/Sydenham to Bankstown Corridor - 1/9/17 3 delivers a range of community outcomes along the corridor. DPE adopted this approach when framing consent conditions for the /GreenWay infrastructure project approved in 2011, to facilitate community outcomes along the corridor ranging from compensatory bush care sites to public art.

Recommendation A6 continued Planning controls should include the requirement to develop a GreenWay South West Master Plan, supported by relevant consent conditions, to ensure the following elements are achieved:-  minimum 3.5m to 4m wide shared use path and associated cycle and pedestrian facilities eg bike racks, signs, bubblers, shaded seats/rest areas, lighting;  water sensitive urban design, wherever feasible;  public art and consistent, high quality street furniture and public domain treatments eg best practice lighting, signage, fencing;  use of indigenous species for tree planting and landscaping along the corridor and in adjacent areas;  establishment of compensatory bush care sites along the Sydenham to Bankstown corridor in situations where existing patches of vegetation need to be cleared to make way for construction of Sydney Metro and Greenway South West;  effective integration with existing open space and recreational areas eg ovals, parks, children’s play areas in close proximity to the GreenWay South West corridor; o incorporation of activation elements wherever possible, particularly in new development sites/precincts adjacent to the Sydenham to Bankstown Corridor . This can include fitness stations, cafes, community gardens, meeting places, heritage interpretation and special interest hubs/facilities/pop ups eg environmental art, skate boarding facilities, outdoor learning spaces for school and university students etc;  effective integration with existing town centres along the GreenWay South West corridor eg Hurlstone Park, Belmore, Lakemba etc., including provision of fine grain, north/south pedestrian and cycle links to connect to/across the main east/west GreenWay South West “spine”

B Open space opportunities in the Dulwich Hill section of the Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay

The GreenWay Program notes the 7 proposed open space projects described in the Potential Plans document prepared by panovscott architects to accompany the Dulwich Hill Station Precinct Plan. The GreenWay Program supports, in principal, the 5 projects specifically outlined for the GreenWay, subject to further detailed planning, consultation and identification of funding sources (over and above the funding already allocated by IWC and TfNSW to complete the GreenWay Missing Links - see attachment 2).

GreenWay comments and/or recommendations -

B1 Gateway Park (potential project 3) The GreenWay Program supports the concept of a Gateway Park, as it compliments and extends the benefits to be achieved by GreenWay Missing Link C, which will provide a direct, off-road connection from Hercules St along the GreenWay/ light rail corridor to Jack Shanahan Reserve. It should be noted that the funding currently allocated by TfNSW and IWC for Link C will not be sufficient to achieve the proposed Gateway Park. Additional funding eg SIC (special infrastructure contribution) will be required to fund the proposed Gateway Park.

B2 Missing Link across light rail corridor (potential project 4). The GreenWay Program supports investigation of this potential project, as it will make a significant contribution to the improvement of pedestrian connectivity in a part of Dulwich Hill which

GreenWay Program submission re: Dulwich Hill Station Precinct Plan/Sydenham to Bankstown Corridor - 1/9/17 4 will be subject to a considerable increase in residential population. It would also improve pedestrian access and circulation around the Dulwich Hill Primary School hub (see also comments in section D below). Maintaining pedestrian safety at all times is, of course, an essential consideration in the options assessment process.

B3 Revealing Jack Shanahan Reserve (potential project 5) – The GreenWay Program supports this potential project because it will improve visual surveillance of, and pedestrian access to Jack Shanahan Reserve, which is a much used local open space facility and a valuable local hub/meeting place for young people. It will also significantly improve pedestrian access to Dulwich Hill light rail stop from the Hercules St precinct and will enhance visual surveillance. The establishment of indigenous vegetation along the current embankment is also supported. It is recommended that plant species are selected from the palette of local indigenous native plants compiled by the GreenWay Program ref: www.greenway.org.au.

B4 Bike Hub (potential project 6) – The GreenWay Program strongly supports this concept and needs to be involved in its further development. Not only will the Hub facilitate a connection between GreenWay Missing Links C and B1, it will also provide a direct connection to the proposed GreenWay South West . It will therefore become an important intersection for three regionally significant cycleways (i) Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay (ii) GreenWay South West (iii) Cooks River cycleway. It is essential that relevant local government and state agencies are involved in a collaborative process which delivers efficient, coordinated, high quality design outcomes.

B5 – Rehabilitating the Cooks River foreshore (potential project 7) – The GreenWay Program supports investigation of this potential project as it will contribute to the achievement of GreenWay Missing Link B2. For several years the GreenWay Program has been advocating for better public access to and shared use by the community of the high quality, foreshore open space currently occupied by Marrickville Golf Course. The GreenWay Program also supports measures to improve water quality in the Cooks River (eg through water sensitive urban design), enhance community access to Cooks River foreshores and increase community understanding of river ecology and ways to mitigate stormwater pollution of receiving waters. Potential project 7 would make a significant contribution to all of the above GreenWay Program objectives.

B6 coordinated project planning - It is essential that further planning and design of the potential projects proposed by panovscott (and other open space projects which may be proposed in proximity to the GreenWay) is done in close consultation with the GreenWay Program and relevant council staff. We need to ensure these initiatives are well coordinated. The potential projects should also be developed and implemented in a way which is consistent with design and construction of the GreenWay Missing Links and other relevant GreenWay Program activities eg maintenance by community volunteers of the compensatory GreenWay bush care site established by TfNSW in the light rail corridor to the north of Jack Shanahan Reserve.

C Managing and minimizing impacts from increased development on the GreenWay and adjacent open space areas and community facilities

The GreenWay community acknowledges that additional residential development will occur in the Dulwich Hill Precinct, in response to transport infrastructure investment and general urban growth pressures across the Inner West. The GreenWay community is however concerned that poorly designed/managed urban growth in the Precinct could undermine the significant benefits provided to the community by the GreenWay and adjacent open space areas and community facilities eg Johnson Park, Dulwich Hill Public

GreenWay Program submission re: Dulwich Hill Station Precinct Plan/Sydenham to Bankstown Corridor - 1/9/17 5

School. A concerted effort is required by public and private sector development stakeholders to ensure that any new development in the precinct achieves best practice design quality and is compatible with the GreenWay and existing residential and open space areas in the Dulwich Hill Precinct either side of the GreenWay/light rail corridor.

GreenWay comments/recommendations

C 1 Use of GreenWay guidelines - It is recommended that DPE and other development stakeholders take into account relevant GreenWay strategies, designs and guidelines when developing master plans for development parcels in close proximity to the GreenWay (eg along Hercules St) and/or when assessing individual development proposals (eg the recent planning proposal for development on New Canterbury Rd, overlooking Arlington Grove Stop/GreenWay).

Useful documents currently available from IWC and/or or linked to www.greenway.org.au include:-

o Draft Guidelines for new developments fronting the GreenWay, GreenWay Steering Committee, 2011 o Various GreenWay Bush Care strategies and guidelines, GreenWay Urban Sustainability Project, 2012 o GreenWay Missing Links Report, GreenWay Councils, October 2015 o Central GreenWay Missing Links (F to J) Concept Design, NSW Government Architects et al, August 2015 o Tomorrow’s Dulwich Hill (work in progress), Marrickville/Inner West Council, 2015 - 17 o Marrickville Public Domain Strategy, JMD Landscape Architects and Inner West Council, 2016 o Draft Plans of Management for four Dulwich Hill Parks (work in progress), Inner West Council, 2016/17 o Lewisham West Precinct Public Domain Guidelines, GreenWay Program/Inner West Council, 2017

A suite of more detailed public domain guidelines and missing links designs are being developed by the GreenWay Program as part of the Greenway Missing Links design and delivery process. Once finalised, these documents will also be a useful guide for future development schemes/proposals/master plans in the Dulwich Hill Precinct.

C2 Inadequate planning precinct boundary – The GreenWay community is concerned that the 500m concentric circle which delineates the area of the Dulwich Hill Station Precinct Plan just misses (by approx. 60-100ms) significant new residential development taking place along Grove St. which will (when approved and constructed) comprise approx. 400 new dwellings in 8 storey apartment blocks between Grove St and the GreenWay/Inner West Light Rail, adjacent to Arlington light rail stop. The Dulwich Hill Station Precinct Plan fails to acknowledge these new dwellings, which represent nearly 25% of the 2,000 dwellings proposed in the Dulwich Hill Station Precinct Plan. When assessing the cumulative social and environmental impact of the proposed residential yield in the Dulwich Hill Station Precinct as a whole, it is important that this includes consideration of the impacts from the new residential buildings (existing or in the process of being assessed) along Grove St and next to Arlington Stop.

C3 Shadowing and overlooking – The GreenWay community is concerned that the 8 storey buildings proposed along Hercules St will be too bulky and will cause an unreasonable amount of overshadowing of the GreenWay, Dulwich Hill Public School, the proposed Gateway Park South of Hercules St (see B1, p3) and other open space areas

GreenWay Program submission re: Dulwich Hill Station Precinct Plan/Sydenham to Bankstown Corridor - 1/9/17 6

and community facilities in the vicinity. Overshadowing the GreenWay undermines its amenity and open space value and impacts on the achievement of urban biodiversity and wildlife corridor outcomes, which is one of the principle reasons why the GreenWay has been identified as the no. Priority Green Grid project in the Draft Central Sydney District Plan and related urban biodiversity documents. There are also concerns that 8 storey buildings will overlook, to an unacceptable degree, local open space and Dulwich Hill Public School.

C4 Increased pressure on local open space and the need for additional, new open space The GreenWay community is concerned that some open space areas within the Precinct, or in close proximity to it (eg Johnson Park) are already under considerable pressure from over-use at certain times, particularly at the weekend. This recreation pressure will inevitably increase as new residential populations move into the precinct. To address this increasing demand for accessible, local open space, it is essential that every effort is made, during the refinement of the Dulwich Hill Station Master Plan process, to:-

(i) adequately assess existing demand and projected demand on existing open space in the Dulwich Hill precinct, or close to it; (ii) analyse the potential for additional land in the right location to be designated for new open space both within and immediately adjacent to the Precinct, to adequately meet the open space needs of a growing population, who will mostly be living in new apartments; (iii) identify appropriate funding (eg via the SIC) to facilitate provision of quality new open space in the precinct.

The GreenWay community is of the view that the proposed “opening up” of the Dulwich Hill Public School playgrounds for use by the broader community is neither a realistic nor equitable way to meet growing needs for open space in the precinct. Open space analysis and planning should be done by DPE in close consultation with relevant IWC staff in parks, recreation planning, strategic planning, the GreenWay Program, Inner West Environment Group, Dulwich Hill Public School etc. Appropriate community engagement about open space needs should be an important part of this process and adequate time and resources should be allocated by DPE to do it well. NB IWC is currently preparing a master plan for four parks in Dulwich Hill (see C1, p5).

D Dulwich Hill Public School Precinct

Dulwich Hill Public School (DHPS) is located alongside the GreenWay/light rail corridor, between Hercules St and Blackwood Ave. The school is involved in a number of GreenWay education projects and is one of 4 schools selected to take part in the Greenway Schools Active Travel Pilot Project (attachment 3). The objective of this project is to encourage school students and their families to walk, cycle or scooter to school more. Research demonstrates that increased active travel to/from school increases students’ social skills, learning capacity and fitness, saves travel time for busy parents and reduces car dependency and traffic congestion in streets and neighbourhoods in the vicinity of a school at peak hour (with associated social, economic and environmental benefits). During 2017 DHPS students and staff have developed draft “active paths” under the guidance of the GreenWay Program and council traffic engineers. The proposed active routes are to be mapped and marked with decals to encourage more active travel to/from DHPS.

Like all schools, DHPS generates a lot of local traffic congestion at peak times, with attendant parking issues, risks to pedestrian and student safety, conflict between pedestrians, cars and cyclists etc. Hercules Street, which forms the northern and eastern boundary of DHPS, is a wide and quite busy street, particularly at morning/afternoon peak. It is also the location for a significant amount of new 8 storey apartment buildings proposed in the Dulwich Hill Station Precinct Plan.

GreenWay Program submission re: Dulwich Hill Station Precinct Plan/Sydenham to Bankstown Corridor - 1/9/17 7

The major developments around the school are likely to exacerbate existing traffic impacts and pedestrian safety risks, which are already a concern to the school community and Inner West Council. This is at a time when the school and council are actively encouraging more students and their families to walk and cycle to school. Potential car/cycle/pedestrian conflict will also be exacerbated by completion of GreenWay Missing Link C, which will require an at-grade crossing of Hercules St about 15ms from the northern school gate (attachment 2).

Given the scale and complexity of the residential development being contemplated in close proximity to the school and the significant change to the urban environment and local streetscape around DHPS which is likely to result, it would be sensible use this as an opportunity to greatly improve the quality of the streetscape and the pedestrian and cycling environment around the school, to achieve a more appropriate balance between the needs of car users, pedestrians and cyclists, particularly in the vicinity of Hercules St.

GreenWay comments/recommendations

D1 Prepare a Dulwich Hill Public School Precinct Master Plan - The scale and complexity of new residential development proposed in proximity to DHPS will result in:-

(i) increased traffic flows and parking pressures, particularly along Hercules St; (ii) greater impacts and risks to pedestrians and students walking or cycling to school; (iii) increased numbers of cyclists using GreenWay Missing Link C to cross Hercules St which is approx. 15ms from the school gate.

In light of the above impacts on the DHPS environment and community, a comprehensive Master Plan should be prepared by DPE, in consultation with IWC, DHPS, the GreenWay Program and other stakeholders, which focuses on DHPS and its important role as a community and traffic hub.

The overall objective of the Master Plan should be to leverage off the new development around the school to design and fund a series of coordinated streetscape upgrades and public domain improvements to reduce traffic impacts/risks and achieve a better balance between the needs of car users, pedestrians and cyclists in the vicinity of the school. This could be achieved in a number of ways, including:-

 Development of proposals to calm traffic, increase shade, widen footpaths and improve the general quality of the public domain and streetscape around the school;  facilitate the school and council’s desire to increase student active travel and reduce car dependency amongst the school community, through various means;  enhance active transport and public transport use in the community as a whole;  increase pedestrian and cycle permeability around the school;  examine opportunities to enhance local open space and/or create links to new open space in proximity to the school eg along the GreenWay/light rail corridor, between Hercules St/Arlington Grove Light Rail Stop and Jack Shanahan Park/Dulwich Hill Stop. See also B2, P3 – potential project 4 – missing link across light rail corridor.

E. conclusion

The Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy identifies the GreenWay/IWLR corridor as a significant, north/south orientated environmental, open space and sustainable transport corridor which intersects directly with the Sydenham to Bankstown corridor at Dulwich Hill. It also proposes the design and development of the GreenWay South West. This is an excellent opportunity to apply lessons learnt by local and state

GreenWay Program submission re: Dulwich Hill Station Precinct Plan/Sydenham to Bankstown Corridor - 1/9/17 8

Government and the Inner West community during development and implementation of the GreenWay over the past 15 years to ensure that the GreenWay South West fulfills its potential as a multi-purpose, sustainable transport and urban environmental corridor.

This submission outlines how implementation of community objectives along the GreenWay/IWLR corridor (in particular the section from Dulwich Hill to Lewisham) can significantly contribute to the achievement of several key elements of the state government’s vision for the Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor. It will also potentially become a best practice example of the Green Grid “in action”, as outlined in the NSW Government’s Plan for Growing Sydney 2014 and (more recently) the GSC’s Draft Central Sydney District Plan (2016). There is considerable potential for the Greenway South West to be a case study for the implementation of collaborative planning and integrated design, as outlined in the Government Architect NSW recently launched guideline “Better Placed”.

This submission strongly recommends that DPE and its agents adopt a design-led, holistic, integrated, place-based approach to pedestrian and cycle way access improvements and the enhancement of the public domain and open space areas in Dulwich Hill and along the GreenWay South West. This should reflect the integrated approach which is already being successfully implemented by the GreenWay councils, its state government partners and GreenWay community stakeholders along the GreenWay/IWLR corridor .

Succesful implementation of the ambitious objectives outlined in the Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy will depend, to a significant extent, on the willingness and capacity for DPE and other state agencies to constructively partner with the GreenWay Program, GreenWay councils and other stakeholders such as Dulwich Hill Public School, to adequately plan, design, fund, implement and manage a suite of integrated improvements which will enhance urban livability for existing and new communities in the Dulwich Hill Station Precinct, in the adjacent precincts of Marrickville, Hurlstone Park and Canterbury and in communities from Dulwich Hill south-west to Bankstown.

The IWC and GreenWay Program look forward to working with DPE and its state government partners during 2017 and beyond to address the challenges, risks and opportunities outlined in this submission.

Yours sincerely

Nick Chapman

GreenWay Place Manager [email protected]

attachments

1 GreenWay Program Submission to DPE re: Sydneham to Banksotwn Corridor, 29 January 2016 2 Greenway Missing Links Update, September 2016 3 GreenWay Schools Active Travel Pilot Project Summary, 2016

GreenWay Program submission re: Dulwich Hill Station Precinct Plan/Sydenham to Bankstown Corridor - 1/9/17