No 32-storey bay apartment plans for Sydney Fish market precinct

UrbanGrowth NSW has denied claims of plans for a 32 storey apartments towers on the public foreshore surrounding the Sydney Fish Market.

“We do not have secret plans for 32 storey towers or anything else,” UrbanGrowth NSW chief executive, David Pitchford said in response to the Sun Herald report.

UrbanGrowth NSW has categorically denied claims that there was any sort of “done deal” regarding the transformation of The Bays Precinct site.

“There are currently no plans for any part of The Bays Precinct – what we have is a discussion paper that we are releasing to the people of Sydney this weekend for their comment over the next six weeks,” said David Pitchford.

The sensational article co-incided with weekend community consultation sessions, with live streaming, discussing the future for the Bays Waterfront Promenade, Bays Market District, White Bay Power Station, and White Bay Cruise Terminal. There were over 1000 registrations to attend.

 

“The Call for Great Ideas is not a procurement process,” he said.

"UrbanGrowth NSW does not know who will or will not make a bid to redevelop Blackwattle Bay, but the fact is that the time for bids of any sort is some time away, and when there is a call it will be a transparent and open public process.

"The priority for UrbanGrowth NSW this year is the development of the Transformation Plan which will guide and direct the development of The Bays Precinct over the next 20 to 30 years," he said.

The Sun Herald article said the Baird government's land development agency, Urban Growth, expected to put a proposal to build 32-storey apartment towers on the public foreshore surrounding the Sydney Fish Markets to the NSW government for approval by July.

A Chinese fishing and real estate conglomerate, which already has a 25 per cent stake in the Sydney Fish Markets and owns the Bidvest site in Pyrmont, was behind the assumed plans, the article suggested.

The bays precinct summit consultation was welcomed by the developer lobby, the Urban Development Institute of Australia when it was announced last year.