The Blackwattle Bay State Significant Precinct is an exciting urban renewal opportunity that will make the harbour foreshore more accessible and attractive. The precinct’s proposed new 30 metre wide waterfront promenade will complete the missing link of the 15 km foreshore walk from Rozelle Bay to Woolloomooloo.
Revitalisation of the precinct includes the approved relocation of the Sydney Fish Market to new modern facilities, which will support the NSW seafood industry while creating a major tourist attraction for Sydney.
State Assessed Planning Proposal for Sydney Fish Market site
The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (the Department) has received a Rezoning Proposal from Infrastructure NSW to rezone land at Blackwattle Bay (Area 17) as a State Assessed Planning Proposal under the State Significant Rezoning Policy. The policy is aimed at identifying land to address the housing and employment needs of NSW’s growing population.
The site is located at the existing Sydney Fish Market site (known as Area 17) in the Blackwattle Bay Precinct.
The Rezoning Proposal removes a clause in the Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012 that requires a minimum amount of non-residential floor area to be included in future development of Area 17 in the Blackwattle Bay Precinct.
The project will deliver approximately 320 new homes and contribute to housing supply in close proximity to infrastructure, public transport, open spaces and jobs.
Infrastructure NSW has been working closely with the local community and private landowners for several years and will support the Department by leading consultation during exhibition. For more information, please visit Blackwattle Bay.
The Rezoning Proposal, Explanation of Intended Effect, and accompanying documents are on exhibition from 12 December 2024 to 31 January 2025. To have your say visit the NSW Planning Portal.
Voluntary Planning Agreement
The Department has now finalised infrastructure funding arrangements through a draft Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA).
The draft VPA is being exhibited from 12 December 2024 to 31 January 2025. More information can be found at the NSW Planning Portal.
The VPA for Blackwattle Bay includes:
- substantial works contributions
- state monetary contribution towards the Pyrmont Metro Station
- a monetary contribution towards local infrastructure directly to council at an equivalent rate expected to be collected under a future Section 7.12 contributions plan
- significant land contributions for recreation, open space, local amenities and connectivity within the Blackwattle Bay Precinct.
State Significant Precinct rezoning
The Blackwattle Bay State Significant Precinct rezoning was finalised in December 2022. The precinct controls finalised have taken into account community and stakeholder feedback, including further feedback on the Response to Submissions revised proposal by Infrastructure NSW (INSW).
On June 8 2023 the Sydney LEP was amended to extend the deferred commencement date for the rezoning of the Blackwattle Bay Precinct to 8 September 2023. The commencement date was amended to allow for finalisation of an agreement for the provision of local infrastructure to support the rezoning.
The new planning controls enable:
- transformation of the waterfront industrial and commercial precinct into a vibrant mixed-use precinct with:
- around 97,500 m2 of residential gross floor area (GFA) allowing for approximately 1,200 apartments with a population of around 2,400 residents
- approximately 100,000 m2 of commercial and retail GFA allowing for approximately 5,600 new jobs
- new buildings ranging from 6 storeys to 35 storeys in height
- new homes close to jobs and services with existing and proposed public transport, including the proposed Pyrmont metro station
- nearly 34,000 m2 of new interconnected parks and public space, including a 30 m wide foreshore promenade linking Glebe Island Bridge and the new Sydney Fish Market, and completing the harbour foreshore walk around the Pyrmont Peninsula
- a sustainable precinct that requires development to meet high sustainability criteria and demonstrate design excellence
- contributions towards and provisions for infrastructure, including community and cultural uses and affordable housing.
What's happened so far
The rezoning investigation for Blackwattle Bay was undertaken in accordance with the State Significant Precinct (SSP) process. INSW prepared the SSP Study, master plan and proposed planning controls for the precinct for assessment by the department with input from the City of Sydney Council, Office of the Government Architect NSW and Transport for NSW.
The State Significant Precinct Study was on public exhibition for comment from 2 July to 20 August 2021. The Department has published the feedback received, including a summary of submissions and the issues raised alongside the department’s assessment letter. These documents and submissions can be viewed at the NSW Planning Portal.
INSW submitted the Response to Submissions report together with amendments to the proposed master plan and draft planning controls. The department also made these documents publicly available for further comments between 28 July to 26 August 2022. The submissions, including the department’s consideration can be viewed at the NSW Planning Portal.
The precinct has now been rezoned and the amending planning instrument can be found at NSW legislation.
Frequently asked questions
Infrastructure NSW (INSW) has prepared a Rezoning Proposal for the existing Sydney Fish Market site (known as Area 17) in the Blackwattle Bay Precinct. The Department has identified the proposal as an appropriate site for a State Assessed Planning Proposal under the State Significant Rezoning Policy.
This new Rezoning Proposal removes a clause in the Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012 that requires a minimum amount of non-residential floor area to be included in future development of Area 17 in the Blackwattle Bay Precinct.
The project will deliver approximately 320 new homes and contribute to housing supply in close proximity to infrastructure, public transport, open spaces and jobs.
The Rezoning Proposal strategically aligns with local, state and federal initiatives to grow regional cities and local centres and deliver more housing for the community.
The NSW Government introduced a State Significant Rezoning Policy in September 2024 to identify and deliver strategically important rezonings under 2 state-based pathways – state-led rezonings and state-assessed planning proposals.
The policy is aimed at identifying land to address the housing and employment needs of NSW’s growing population. The policy will help streamline planning efforts of local councils and the Department, cutting rezoning timeframes by up to 200 working days.
The assessment criteria will focus on public benefits, contribution to housing targets, social and affordable housing provision, infrastructure availability and investment certainty.
For more information visit State Significant Rezoning Policy.
This site is located at the existing Sydney Fish Market site (known as Area 17) in the Blackwattle Bay Precinct. The site includes the main fish market building, car park, exterior public seating area, annex buildings surrounding the carpark and several small wharf structures which extend into Blackwattle Bay.
The proposal involves amending planning controls to allow for additional housing in Area 17 and the land use mix to be determined at the development application (DA) stage.
The Rezoning Proposal is on exhibition and the Department would like feedback from the community to inform the final plans.
Since the finalisation of the 2022 rezoning, and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on patterns of work, demand for employment floorspace has declined consistently.
Employment growth is already well catered for in the Sydney CBD, Central Precinct and new employment uses around the Pyrmont Metro Station. There is also an increased need for new housing in Sydney.
This Rezoning Proposal presents an opportunity to contribute to the National Housing Accord targets with additional housing on government owned land in close proximity to infrastructure, housing, open space and employment.
Public exhibition and feedback for the proposal will close on 31 January 2025. To review the proposal and have your say, go to the NSW Planning Portal and click on 'Make a submission'.
Infrastructure NSW has been working closely with the local community and private landowners for several years and will support the Department by leading consultation during exhibition. For more information, please visit their website at Blackwattle Bay.
Feedback received during the exhibition period will inform the finalisation of the plan. A submission report outlining how the feedback was taken into consideration will be developed.
A decision on the proposed rezoning will be made in 2025.
For more information contact 1300 420 596 or email [email protected]