The City of Sydney is forging ahead with plans for more development potential within the Botany Road Precinct.
This is one of three new strategic precincts aimed at increasing the range of employment floorspace across the LGA. This plan aligns with the projected jobs growth forecast in the City’s Local Strategic Planning Statement.
What is planned?
The Botany Road Precinct, between Redfern train station and McEvoy Street, will provide more commercial floorspace and some affordable housing. This will be achieved through incentivised development within Opportunity sites. The aim is to accommodate mid-rise growth, while taking a nuanced approach in maintaining the unique characteristics of the area, including heritage and indigenous values, and the protection of important open space from overshadowing.
Urbis’ view
We’re pleased to finally see the strategic direction and proposed controls for the Botany Road Precinct, which has been over two years in the making. Given site constraints and land fragmentation, the precinct offers a complex opportunity for growth.
While we support the Council’s initiative to promote employment and affordable housing uplift, we’re concerned that this is another layer of controls at a time when the government is promoting more streamlined planning.
Another important consideration in this draft plan are the incentives tied to limited land uses and what the market responsiveness to this will be in the short to medium term. We believe earlier engagement with more landowners in the precinct should have been undertaken in advance of seeking Council’s endorsement.
It is important that stakeholders take the opportunity to provide Council with open feedback on this at the earliest availability.
