Submission to the City of Sydney on Sustainable Sydney 2030

23 November, 2009

Clr Clover Moore MP
Lord Mayor,
City of Sydney
GPO Box 1591,
SYDNEY NSW 2001

Dear Clover,

We have perused the City’s Sustainable Sydney 2030 and applaud the big vision outlined, particularly in relation to transport. Whilst much of the document relates to large, long-term projects, eg the Central Station Gateway project, it identifies some nearer term projects.

Pyrmont Action has been involved right from the start of your Party’s administration. We have participated in the development of CUPA’s Strategy, in response to the City’s Draft Strategic Plan; we have attended numerous workshops; made submissions on the Local Action Plan; and we have made a substantial submission on the Sustainable Sydney 2030 vision. We have participated in the consultation process at every stage of the evolution of the City’s plan for Sydney. We have been consistent in our support of the Pyrmont Village concept, and the revitalization of Pyrmont Village projects now underway.

We note the plans for an Activity Hub in Ultimo which is close to the Cultural Heart located around UTS/the ABC, SIT and the Powerhouse Museum and agree that the latter is appropriately located for the provision of culture that is largely “received” by, as distinct from generated by the community. We also note that the Ultimo Community Centre is an excellent facility which serves the Ultimo community well and is accessible to members of that community. And the ITAC, a long-planned project, is a welcome active recreational facility for the City West precinct and the wider City.

However, the proposed Activity Hub focused on the Powerhouse Museum Forecourt is not easily accessible to Pyrmont, and the UCC is currently almost fully utilized, and cannot adequately serve the 15,000 residents and 18,000 workers of Pyrmont.

We would like to make the case for the provision of additional community/youth and sporting facilities to complement the Pyrmont Village and to prevent it becoming just another dormitory suburb. Pyrmont is now the size of a medium to large-sized country town, with its own identity and needs. In particular we lack meeting rooms, rehearsal spaces, arts and educational infrastructure and sporting and active recreational facilities. Since the rapid influx of so many residents into the Pyrmont peninsular over a very short period, it has been marvelous to see the development of a strong community spirit, sense of identity, and loyalty to the place and its people. We pull together in times of need (eg the current CBD Metro controversy) and contribute substantially through volunteer efforts, eg:

• The Pyrmont Ultimo Wildlife Corridor project
• Fund raising projects for charities eg the Jacksons Landing Christmas Concert
• Events eg the Wentworth Park Community Games and the Pyrmont Arts Festival
• The establishment of the Pyrmont Community Bank
• The establishment of the Pyrmont Choir and Children’s Choir
• The Pyrmont Library Link and Book Exchange

Yet we lack even the most basic infrastructure taken for granted in even small country towns and villages, most of which can boast a village or town hall and/or school of arts. Unlike most other suburbs within the City’s boundaries, Pyrmont has no old Town Hall or other civic buildings which can be converted to new community uses.

The following submission brings together ideas from previous submissions, comments on the current City plans, and presents a way forward which can be at least cost neutral:

Pyrmont Village Activity Hub

We note that the proposed Harris Street Activity Hub focused on the forecourt of the Powerhouse Museum can “nurture the conditions for further development” (SS2030, p58). We are encouraged by this, and also by the advice that in 2011 the City will be revisiting the Local Action Plans and calling for new projects and revisiting those ideas not addressed in the current LAP.

We further note the core elements of Activity Hubs include transport interchange, primary school, business centres, library, community space, childcare, Wi-Fi hotspot, fresh food market, bike parking, health and medical, City of Sydney service centre and a range of optional activity centres dependent on local character and need (our emphasis)

Pyrmont offers the following in support of Village Hub Status:

• Transport interchange – bus, light rail, CBD Metro, ferry
• A vibrant business community supporting large media companies, IT companies, American Express, Star City, tourist hotels, local hotels, as well as many small businesses
• The nucleus of a Library Link (although it needs to be better housed and supported)
• Two supermarkets (Coles, IGA)
• Three medical centres, numerous dentists and other therapists
• Two banks
• Post Office
• Major cycle and pedestrian links
• Local theatres
• 2 childcare centres (more are needed)

as well as local tourist attractions such as the various foreshore parks and the Sydney Fish Markets which provide a distinctive local character. However, the only social infrastructure provided is the Pyrmont Community Centre and the Maybanke Centre. These cannot meet our current needs or demographic, let alone the several thousand more residents and workers to come. We explore options for consideration in both the near-term, and within the context of the 2011 LAP development.

1.0 Pyrmont Community Centre – The inadequacies of the PCC to meet the needs of the community have been outlined previously. They include:

• It is not purpose built
• A large part of the building is leased as a pre-school and after hours school activity centre and is therefore unavailable and unsuitable for other activities
• It is no longer a public space as it is classified as “operational” which requires an emphasis on user-pays, semi-commercial activities
• It is noisy and unsuitable for meetings even when rooms are available
• Community access is restricted by overly bureaucratic eligibility criteria and processes

Donald Denoon (CUPA), in consultation with members of the community, has developed proposals which, if adopted by Council, may assist in providing expanded opportunities for community use of the Pyrmont Community Centre:

• Revive the PCC as a social facility by identifying and developing a range of activities tailored to the needs of the community, eg U3A/adult education services; fitness courses for over 55s; bridge, mahjong, table tennis. These can be organized by residents
• Releasing space for the volunteer-managed book exchange and library link and a reading room
• Cub/scout group, computing courses, internet access
• Provide drop-in centre facilities with coffee machine, tables, chairs, newspapers
• Historical displays
• Meeting rooms
• Rehearsal space

To revive the PCC will require in the short-term:

• Sound-proofing of rooms
• Development of fee structure and processes that encourage, rather than inhibit, non-commercial, community activities
• Expanded hours of operation, possibly using trained volunteers after hours
• Publicising the range of community activities
• Renegotiation of SDN contract to free up space for community use in the evenings and at weekends
• Establishment of a management committee to advise Centre staff on community interests, to formulate priorities and to inform the community of the Centre’s facilities, and to foster the Centre as a Neighbourhood Centre.

In the longer term, the building requires renovation and expansion into nearby vacant or derelict buildings and land.

Recommendation – that the Pyrmont Community Centre be renovated and transformed from a semi-commerical facility to become a Neighbourhood Centre, assisted by a local community management committee.

2.0 Bank Street Foreshore Park

The NSW Maritime site and 1 Bank Street are zoned Public Recreation. The Bank Street Master Plan stipulates development of these sites for passive boating and parkland. A plan was developed through consultation between representatives of the local and passive boating communities which have been trying to progress the development of the Foreshore Park for the past 3 years. With the acquisition of 1 Bank Street, and in the context of the Bays Precinct Task Force deliberations, further discussions are now occurring between the original group, the Heritage Fleet and NSW Volunteer Marine Rescue organizations to ascertain whether the needs of all the boating organizations can be met on this site and offshore. Consensus has been reached that the southern half of the NSW Maritime site can be parkland, and responsibility for the park’s development and maintenance transferred to the City of Sydney. Pyrmont Ultimo Landcare Inc is looking to provide landscaping on a volunteer basis. Council will be asked to provide:

• Initial site preparation as required
• A stormwater tank to receive water from 1 Distillery Drive, noting that Lend Lease has offered to install stormwater piping from Distillery Hill to the site provided a tank is in situ
• Irrigation piping
• Lawn
• Local native plants and mulch as required

The future of the northern end of the NSW Maritime site has been proposed as suitable for active recreation, the nature of which will be determined through community consultation but which could include:

• Tennis/netball court/s
• Boules court
• Skateboard rink

There is a commitment from both the NSW Government and the City of Sydney to the completion of the Harbour Foreshore Walkway and it is our recommendation that this be a high priority for Council in the next Local Action Plan, if not before.

Recommendation – That the City of Sydney commence negotiations with NSW Maritime regarding the transfer of responsibilities for the establishment of public parkland on the southern half of the Bank Street Foreshore Park; that negotiations commence with Vivas Lend Lease regarding the installation of a stormwater tank adjacent 1 Distillery Drive in Bank Street; that the City of Sydney initiate community consultation regarding the future of the northern half of the Bank Street Foreshore Park; that planning commence on the Harbour Foreshore walkway.

3.0 Wattle Street Depot

We understand that the future of this very large Council-owned site is being considered by the Property Division of Council. This review has been taking place for some years now and we have been unable to obtain any information on what may be recommended. We have attempted to contact Nicholas Male-Perkins over the past several weeks but have been unsuccessful. There has been no community consultation. This site presents Council with an opportunity to provide a major City/Inner West facility as well as the locus for the Pyrmont Village Activity Hub, through its redevelopment. As Pyrmont Action recommended in its submission on the last Local Action Plan, the Wattle Street Depot is ideal for mixed public/commercial uses. Its location meets the criteria listed in Sustainable Sydney 2030 and, with provision of some additional lift access from Jones Street to Wentworth Park station, will be particularly well served by bus, light rail and the CBD Metro. In this regard, we note that the City owns derelict land which is an extension to Jones Street, running north to the edge of the old Hell Hole Quarry.

In addition, the site is close to Glebe, where there is a similar shortfall in provision of social infrastructure and it is adjacent Wentworth Park and Wentworth Park Sporting Complex. It will be possible to close the current greyhound racing carpark now occupying public parkland and to provide a commercial carpark in the basement of the proposed new development to serve both the greyhound patrons and Sydney Fish Market visitors. Commercial space could be provided, as well as an upper floor of purpose-built public space, including a possible child care centre. The roof can be developed as active recreational space, to complement the adjacent Fig Park passive recreation area. It has also been suggested that part of the site be left undeveloped for use as a community garden. The Wattle Street depot represents the last opportunity for the provision of much needed social/youth/recreational/sporting facilities to serve not only Pyrmont Village but the City and the Inner West. Through a mixed redevelopment approach, these public facilities can be provided from revenue generated by the commercial use of part of the site.

Recommendation – that the Wattle Street Depot site remain in public ownership; that Council initiate public consultation on its future use prior to the development of the 2011 LAP.

We put forward these recommendations in the context of Sustainable Sydney 2030 and look forward to working with Council to realize them.

Yours sincerely,


Elizabeth Elenius
Convenor