Australian Institute of Landscape Architects     New South Wales 
 

SUBMISSION

Australian Institute of Landscape Architects – NSW Group
Barangaroo (formerly East Darling Harbour) - Sydney
MP06_0162 MOD 4 (Hotel development, additional GFA and Height)

PDF Version

This submission is made by the NSW Group of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA NSW) to the NSW Department of Planning

The submission has been made in response to:

  • The guiding master plan process undertaken by the Authority
  • The Lend Lease proposal for Stage 1 of the Barangaroo development site and the associated display.
  • The parkland proposals for Barangaroo North

BACKGROUND

The opportunity: The Barangaroo Project is a once in a generation opportunity and demands the communities of Sydney engage with the project and debate its future.  Barangaroo should become a showcase of excellence in public domain design.

The areas of concern: Whilst the AILA NSW Group recognizes and applauds the stated intention to achieve a carbon neutral development, the aim of achieving best practice should extend to all aspects of this project.  This submission identifies three key areas of concern.  Listed below, these areas of concern are expanded in the following pages:

  • The governance framework, public accountability and openness of the planning process.
  • The adherence to urban design principles that underpin a robust and enduring public domain.
  • A rigorous approach to design of the harbour’s landscape.

1.  Governance

The development of these public lands needs to occur within a governance framework that protects the long-term public interest, whilst leveraging private sector investment through opportunity. 
The planning process for these lands needs to be fully open to public scrutiny and engagement. Decision making for the site can be interpreted as having diverged from principles identified through a publicly accessible process.

Recommendation
A holistic approach to built form and public domain design should be developed for the whole Barangaroo site, and the design of initial development stages are to be consistent with this overall public domain and built form plan. 
A revisiting of the master plan should be undertaken through a transparent and considered process, open to public scrutiny and participation.

2.  Urban Design Principles

A fabric of fine-grained lots sympathetic with the city’s overall landscape and morphology, public streets, public foreshore, continued harbourside maritime activity and robust transport infrastructure had previously been identified as key principles to provide an enduring foundation for successful incremental development on the site over time.

Recommendation
The Government should provide and demand adherence to a master plan with a clear and robust public domain framework of unambiguous streets, squares and parks.  Public infrastructure should be defined and delivered and the master plan should protect and complement the City’s overall form, views and connections.

The urban design must be rigorous and give primacy to the public domain and green infrastructure

3. Landscape design at the harbourside

The design of a major new public parkland on the harbour is a rare and significant opportunity to give optimistic and contemporary expression to the aspirations and values of the city’s citizens.
It should also become a place that:

  • celebrates its unique history;
  • diversifies recreation opportunity at the harbourside,
  • establishes a landscape of high environmental sustainability
  • develops the potential Green Infrastructure benefits of the site.

Recommendation

The site’s entire complex history can inspire distinctive and rich design solutions.  Sydney Harbour is a gallery of landscape architectural projects over the last forty years and continuing today.  These demonstrate what contemporary practice can provide with an informed client and enlightened brief

The brief for the headland park should not be constrained to a prescribed outcome, and should explore a range of potential expressions of the city’s aspirations in creating a truly sustainable setting for diverse activity.