October 2019 GOOD NEWS FOR SYDNEY PEDESTRIANS

Improving pedestrian 10 YEAR PLAN TO COMPLETE Bike trips on Kent Street have safety in Sydney increased 757 per cent since 2010 Transport for NSW and the ’S CYCLING NETWORK Sydney have agreed to jointly develop Our top priority is connecting the bike network within Around one million people live our next five-year action plan for the our local area, but we’re also working with neighbouring Pedestrian countdown timers within a 30-minute bike ride Sydney CBD as part of the Sydney already installed at councils on connections for people riding beyond our city City Access Strategy. to the city centre. Not boundaries. everyone can ride a bike With a focus on improving access Transport for NSW is also supporting to work or school, but if we Priority connections include: for pedestrians and cyclists, this will • College and Park streets the introduction of 40 km/h speed Central Station. can get as many people Connections to and around include the installation of nine new • Macquarie and Albert streets • limits in appropriate locations as possible using active King Street cycleway in pedestrian countdown timers in the • Kent and Margaret streets where there are large numbers of transport, we will further • Final designs for extending the Castlereagh Sydney CBD, at the following locations: pedestrians, including Ultimo, the inner city, and for the extension of the • Lee Street and Railway Square reduce our city’s greenhouse • King and George streets Barangaroo, Dawes Point, Millers gas emissions and congestion. Street cycleway. Pedestrian countdown timers and Point and the Sydney CBD, as well Cycling is also good for air New cycleways linking Green Square to Randwick • College and Stanley streets encourage pedestrians to clear • as additional zones in Green Square quality and our residents’ connecting Redfern and Newtown. • Castlereagh and Market streets the intersection within the and Waterloo. health and wellbeing. • Pitt Street and Angel Place indicated and allotted time. • Working with Transport for NSW and Roads and Crisis in building and construction sector In Sustainable Sydney 2030, we • Park and Elizabeth streets Maritime Services to finalise a step-free design for a bike The building defects crisis is undermining confidence in the construction industry and causing heartbreak and committed to building a safe and Kent Street in the city centre and connection between financial difficulty for owners and residents of affected multi-storey buildings. connected, destination-based the Sydney Harbour Bridge. bike network to make riding a Pyrmont and Glebe. A number of apartment buildings in the City of Sydney have It is essential that certification of all buildings, particularly • More safe bike connections to healthier and safer option. , which recently made the news due to defects that, in some cases, multi-storey residential buildings, be carried out by a third Bondi to the city centre along Moore Park Road Since 2007, we have created • have left them unfit for occupation due to faults that have party independent of the builder. This would ensure proper Lord Chris Mayor Tamwoy Clover Moore is the NSW Government’s highest priority bike link. Light Rail Testing When the NSW 15.4 kilometres of separated occurred in the construction process. These include structural checks and balances to protect amenity and the environment, celebrates Ride2School Day cracks, problems with water proofing, inadequate fire safety and address the conflict of interest that currently exists when For over a decade, we have advocated for light rail to Government agreed to the at Darlinghurst Public School cycleways, 60 kilometres of Construction of the Green Square to Randwick cycleway ease inner city congestion and create more space for CBD and South East Light Rail Project, and soil contamination. private certifiers are being paid by the building contractor. $220 million to achieve our shared paths and 40 kilometres of other infrastructure, along Epsom Road is almost complete and construction pedestrians and cyclists. we responded by committing which includes bike lanes and traffic calmed streets. of the Wilson and Burren streets cycleway is It is utterly irresponsible that successive state governments It is right that the NSW Government has established a vision for a world-class boulevard on George Street, lined well underway. have allowed this to occur by removing independent Public Accountability Inquiry into the regulation of building The light rail track is now 100 per cent complete and tram with street trees and new street furniture. Soon, the City As a result, bike trips have trebled. testing has been taking place since June, including the first tram certification and professional supervision of construction sites. standards, building quality and building disputes. will be installing new benches and planters in George We also support people to ride, with free courses, balance to travel along George Street past Sydney Town Hall in 61 years! Street, to replace the temporary concrete blocks. bike classes, cycling maps, bike tune-ups and regular In 1997, as Member for Bligh in State Parliament, I was one of The City has made a submission to the inquiry and we look

cycling events. only two MPs to oppose changes to the Environmental Planning forward to seeing its recommendations for independent and We’ve also worked with the NSW Government to and Assessment Act 1979 that handed over authority to private professional oversight acted on as a matter of great urgency. Tram testing outside Sydney Town Hall, July 2019 achieve better outcomes in Devonshire Street. More than 7,000 people now ride to work in the city centre certifiers to approve certain categories of development. – the equivalent of seven full trains or 116 full buses. We look forward to seeing light rail up and running I told the NSW Parliament that self-regulation would not work,

in the coming months and we will continue to advocate Businesses are also strong supporters of increasing cycling and that public interest would be put at risk by time and cost to the NSW Government for mass transit options in and have invested $57 million in end-of-trip facilities in their Residents in Green Square ride more saving pressures put on private building certifiers to keep the Green Square. own properties over the last four years, because their staff than those who live elsewhere in Sydney person who pays their wages on side. want to ride to work. For more information, visit These warnings were sadly prophetic. Now the NSW Government sydneylightrail.transport.nsw.gov.au must act urgently to reinstate independent onsite construction Lord Mayor of Sydney inspectors, and ensure engineers and similar professionals are @CloverMoore adequately accredited. @clovermooresydney The NSW Government has recently confirmed $7.5 million in funding for four priority cycleways – Join The Big Adventure at Sydney Park, Liverpool Street (Sussex to Harbour streets), Alexandria to Moore Park Saunders and Miller streets Alexandria, on Saturday 9 November 2019 OUR SUBMISSION in Pyrmont (linking Anzac Bridge and the connector scaled back Union Street cycleway), Chalmers Street SYDNEY RIDES (between Prince Alfred Park and Randle Street in TO THE BUILDING Following years of community opposition to the Alexandria From September to November, the City of Sydney will present Surry Hills), and Lawson Street between to Moore Park connector, which grew out of the destructive a diverse program of events as part of Sydney Rides 2019. WestConnex toll road project, the NSW Government has Little Eveleigh and Wells streets in Newtown. STANDARDS INQUIRY This is fantastic news for people who want to Now in its eighth year, the program features dozens of family The NSW Government established a parliamentary inquiry agreed to scale back its plans. ride in our community! friendly events, with lots of opportunities to celebrate cycling and into Sydney’s building standards, building quality and building disputes in July 2019. The Alexandria to Moore Park connector was designed to take embark on urban adventures across the city. • A complete overhaul of private certification Visit cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/cycling The City of Sydney’s submission calls for: clear regulations and monitoring. tens of thousands of cars directly through Alexandria and our for more information. including Last year more than 20,000 people took part in the Green Square urban renewal area, impacting quality of life • The Planning Act to be urgently amended, • A long-term plan to ensure buildings of Sydney Rides Festival, so head to sydneyrides.com for all and raising major road safety concerns, as well as threatening removing the ability for private certifiers adequate quality are constructed in the the information. ’ investment in the $13 billion redevelopment. It was also going to issue ‘interim occupation certificates first place. to destroy mature trees in Waterloo and Moore Park and allowing residents to move into incomplete • Certification of multi-storey buildings and exacerbate rat running in residential areas like Alexandria. developments. Help shape the future of Sydney. If you require this information in an alternative format please contact: construction supervision to be carried out Mature trees marked for removal in This scale back is better news for our community. The City Have your say at City of Sydney: 02 9265 9333 [email protected] • A return to quality control during the by third parties independent of the builder. of Sydney will continue to work with Transport for NSW on McEvoy Street, Waterloo, February 2018 construction phase, which means SydneyYourSay.com.au Translating & Interpreting Service (TIS):13 14 50 The above will make sure proper checks transport solutions for our communities, including mass transit experienced, independent professionals and balances are in place to ensure quality for Green Square and Waterloo. We will also continue our efforts How to contact the City Visit: City of Sydney, Town Hall House, 456 Kent Street, Sydney Post: GPO Box 1591, Sydney NSW 2001 T: 02 9265 9333 Email: [email protected] bound by a code of conduct to put public construction and to protect purchasers to mitigate the impacts of WestConnex on our local neighbourhoods. Online: cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au Your councillors are Clover Moore (CMIT) / Jess Miller (CMIT) / Robert Kok (CMIT) / Jess Scully (CMIT) / Philip Thalis (CMIT) / Christine Forster (LIB) / Craig interest first. Chung (LIB) / Linda Scott (LAB) / (IND) / Angela Vithoulkas (SBP) and occupants. NSW PLANNING SYSTEM DEFENDING THE On Tuesday 27 August, Lord Mayor Clover Moore presented the City of Sydney’s response to The Star Casino’s proposal for a 237-metre high luxury residential apartment and hotel tower at Pyrmont at a public meeting held by the Independent Planning Commission (IPC). OUR COMMITMENT TO HIGH QUALITY DEVELOPMENT Councillor Philip Thalis also addressed the meeting. Our commitment to design excellence was At eight times the maximum height The City of Sydney has approved over recently acknowledged at this year’s Australian The City of Sydney supports allowed on the site, the proposed the Department of Planning’s tower grossly exceeds the planning $25 billion of high quality development over the Institute of Architects’ NSW Architecture Awards, recommendation that the past 10 years, with 2.3 million square metres controls for the area, using the with our own community projects picking up proposal be rejected. discredited and now defunct Part of development currently lodged, approved or major awards, as well as private developments The Department’s report notes that 3A of the Planning Act. under construction. processed and approved by the City. the tower’s built form would: At stake is the credibility of the • appear isolated and NSW planning system and the

Through mandatory design competitions for major inconsistent in height and form potential undermining of planning public and private property developments throughout with surrounding buildings; controls for Pyrmont developed

the local area, we’ve raised the bar • inhibit views from public in consultation with the local vantage points; community. for design excellence and • adversely impact the character The IPC is expected to make sustainability in our city. Approved by the City of Harold Park One Circular Quay of Pyrmont; and a determination by the end of Sydney, Architectus was Image courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates and Crone Architects Image by Murray Fredricks such September. awarded a Lord Mayor’s Prize • overshadow public spaces Barrack Place at this year’s NSW Architecture The City of Sydney, Government Architects Office, Mirvac as Union Square, Pyrmont Bay Visit cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/ - A model of the proposed hotel and casino tower at Pyrmont Awards for Barrack Place Design and HASSELL picked up the Lloyd Rees Award for FIVE STAR, HIGH-RISE HOTELS Park and Pyrmont Bridge. starcasino for updates. a 5-Star NABERS rated Urban Design for Harold Park. IN SYDNEY’S FUTURE commercial tower on The 3.8 hectares of new public parkland, located next to the Clarence Street. restored Tramsheds food precinct and Harold Park A number of high quality, high-rise hotels are Community Hall, was officially opened in October last currently in development for the city centre. year. This redevelopment unlocked formerly private land as the land for new public open space and Under the State Environmental Planning Policy, UPDATE ON WESTCONNEX hotels with a capital investment of more than 78 affordable housing units. The NSW Government continues to make announcements about even more road projects associated with the Government’s $100 million, or if associated with a state heritage $50 billion destructive and environmentally irresponsible toll road project, WestConnex. The park’s design incorporates elements from item of more than $10 million, are referred to the local environment and the area’s history, the NSW Planning Minister for approval as State In August, WestConnex unveiled new plans for a with shelters reflecting the shapes of the nearby Significant Developments. However, hotel applicants 300-metre long motorway overpass above The Crescent The sandstone cliff face and patterns echoing the can request approval from the City of Sydney instead, in Annandale. The two-lane overpass will sit up to eight

Paramount House Hotel intricate pressed metal ceilings found in and we seek to work with the NSW Government to metres above the intersection of the City West Link and was designed by nearby late 19th and early 20th century The Crescent, threatening local amenity. ensure development is within our planning controls. Breathe Architecture homes (pictured). The Lord Mayor’s Prize • The five star,28-storey AWH-Yuhu Hotel at One Plans for the new overpass were on exhibition until and approved by the was You can view the City’s submission at City of Sydney. It won an also awarded to Mirvac Circular Quay was approved by the City of Sydney 18 September.

award in the category Paramount House Hotel Design, Government in five months. The hotel applicant requested that cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/westconnex Architects Office, HASSELL of commercial the Planning Minister delegate approval to the City Image courtesy of Breathe Architecture. and the City of Sydney Meanwhile, we are working with our communities architecture. Photographer: Katherine Lu of Sydney. Architects Kengo Kuma & Associates and for Harold Park. to try and mitigate the impacts of WestConnex on Crone have designed a stunning tower, located in a local neighbourhoods. Last year we prepared a traffic prime position between the Sydney Harbour Bridge management plan for Alexandria, seeking to protect local While the Department and Opera House. streets and reduce rat running. The proposed motorway overpass has approved 17 of 20 measures, we continue to call • Lord Mayor Clover Moore recently turned the first sod will sit above the intersection of the for vital road closures and street calming. on the 17-storey, 301 room voco Sydney Central City West Link and The Crescent hotel next to Belmore Park. Developers IHG and Linzhu elected to have their development assessed by the City of Sydney, evolving their design in consultation with city planners to protect Belmore Park from overshadowing and create as Image courtesy of Architectus. Photographer: Brett Boardman a striking feature its landscaped, sloping roof and terraced garden façade. EXPANSION OF PROFESSIONAL SPORT IN MOORE PARK As well as the erosion of parklands and amenity due to continued Lord Mayor Clover Moore with architects Playground at Harold Park • Following amendments to the planning controls, the With the award-winning Sydney Football Stadium carparking on public land, the City of Sydney is concerned about Felicity Stewart and Matthias Hollenstein City is also collaborating with the NSW Government demolished and the replacement structure without public buildings handed over to elite sporting groups for private The Green on the development application for a five star luxury use. This includes the Royal Hall of Industries, which has now been Image produced by Doug and Wolf. Courtesy of Woods Bagot a builder, there is a new question mark over the Square Library and The Green Square Library and Plaza won the: lifestyle hotel and commercial development at leased to the AFL, and plans for other public buildings to be privately Plaza won four major 4–6 Bligh Street. Global architecture and design studio future of the site in Moore Park. leased for commercial purposes. awards at the 2019 • 2019 NSW Premier’s Prize Woods Bagot won the contract to design the 55-storey NSW Architecture • John Verge Award for Interior Architecture As State Member for Bligh in 1992, now Lord Mayor Clover Moore hotel following a competitive design process. Aerial view of Stage 1 demolition at Moore Park, August 2019 Awards • Architecture Award for Public Architecture introduced legislation to preserve the site of the Moore Park Showground as public land for much-needed community sport and • Architecture Award for Urban Design, with HASSELL recreation. The site was vested to the Centennial and Moore Park Australian architects Studio Hollenstein in association with Stewart Trust to be properly administered and protected for ongoing Architecture won the design competition in 2012, from 160 entries public use. from around the world. Its bold and exciting design has been with more than 213,000 people In August, we made a submission to the Department of Planning embraced by the community, as part of their ‘State Significant Development’ application for visiting the Green Square Library since it opened in September 2018. the ‘adaptive reuse’ of the Royal Hall of Industries. The Green Square Library and Plaza has also won several The City objects to the proposed development because we have international awards, including the prestigious, global Architectural serious concerns about tree removals and the heritage, traffic, Review Library Award 2018. This year, it has received an INDE.Award voco Sydney Central Image courtesy of IHG accessibility, environmental and sustainability impacts of the for The Learning Space category and an International Architecture development. We also challenge the proposed land uses as Green Square Library and Plaza Award from the Chicago Athenaeum together with the European 4–6 Bligh Street inconsistent with the relevant statutory controls. Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.