Tools ‘at the ready’ for South Eveleigh Train Workshop renewal

South Eveleigh’s historic Train Workshop (Large Erecting Shop) will be given a new lease of life, after planning approval was given to rezone the former locomotive site into a new mixed-use commercial and retail space.

The Department of Planning and Environment’s Executive Director for the Eastern Harbour City, Amanda Harvey, said the rezoning will support adaptive reuse of the workshop that will enable 1,000 new jobs. The adapted space will accommodate 15,000 square metres of new commercial and retail floor space, which is equivalent to the size of two football fields.

“The rezoning enables the transformation of the workshop, which is currently used to store heritage railway equipment, into an innovation and technology hub,” Ms Harvey said.

“The South Eveleigh Train Workshop (heritage registered as the Large Erecting Shop) is a State listed heritage site with a long, rich history dating back to 1899 and is one of Australia’s few surviving locomotive assembly shops of this scale.”

“The rezoning seeks to ensure that the site’s unique history will be maintained, with the building’s exterior to undergo heritage conservation upgrades.”

To facilitate the rezoning, the Department amended the planning controls for the workshop under a State Environment Planning Policy (SEPP).

The amendment to the Eastern Harbour City SEPP rezones the Workshop from ‘Special Purpose Zone – Infrastructure’ to a ‘Business Zone – Business Park’ to permit commercial and retail uses.

Further conditions have been put in place that set a total maximum limit on the amount of floor space and limiting additional car parking as part of the Design Excellence Strategy.

This strategy was prepared with input from the Government Architect NSW, Heritage NSW and City of Sydney and will help to conserve the site’s heritage values while also supporting suitable new development.

For further information, visit the NSW Planning Portal.