rhodes community presentation
TRANSCRIPT
15 July 2021
Rhodes Community Committee
Rhodes precinct update
Draft Place
Strategy for
Rhodes
• The draft Rhodes Place Strategy establishes a framework to deliver up to 4,200 new homes and
approximately 1,000 jobs in the precinct over the next 20 years.
• This will be supported by:
• New public open space, including a foreshore park and waterfront promenade
• New pedestrian and cycling connections, including a new connection across Concord Road to
McIlwaine Park
• Upgrades to Rhodes Train Station
• New streets and road upgrades
• New primary school for up to 1,000 students
• The draft Place Strategy prepared in 2020 builds on the extensive precinct investigations and feedback
received over the last five years (including two previous exhibitions in 2017 and 2018/19)
Overview
• The draft Rhodes Place Strategy was exhibited between 31 August and 9 October 2020
• The exhibition period was for 6 weeks
• The exhibited package included:
• The draft Rhodes Place Strategy – including detailed master plans for the four character areas: Station
Gateway West, Station Gateway East, Cavell Avenue and Leeds Street
• An Explanation of Intended Effect (EIE) which explained the proposed amendments to planning
controls
• Urban Design Report
• In response to the exhibition we received over 3,000 submissions
• Almost 90% submissions related to the Coptic Church site
Exhibition details
Community
consultation
• Exhibition was widely notified:
• Notices were placed in The Daily Telegraph and the Inner West Courier
• Letters sent to 1,800 landowners
• Postcards distributed to 5,500 residents in Rhodes
• 795 Electronic Direct Mail (EDM) sent at start of exhibition to Rhodes webpage subscribers
• Social media advertising on Facebook and posts on Twitter and LinkedIn carried out by the
Department’s digital team
• Three A1 notice boards at Rhodes train station
• Letters to key stakeholders and agencies, including councils, state agencies and industry groups
Notification details
• A dedicated precinct webpage on the Department’s website which included all exhibition documents, a
community brochure (including translation into two primary community languages) and frequently asked
questions.
• A social pinpoint map allowed users to post comments on features of the draft Place Strategy
• An online survey provided opportunity for community to provide informal feedback
• Three online webinar sessions were held:
• Station Gateway West and Station Gateway East - Information Session - 15 September 2020
• Cavell Avenue and Leeds Street - Information Session - 17 September 2020
• Mandarin language information session - a presentation pre-recorded in Mandarin and a question and
answer session facilitated by a Mandarin interpreter – 7 October 2020
• One-on-one “Talk to a Planner” sessions allowed members of the public to book a session to ask questions
about the project.
• 28 sessions were offered, and various times made available for people to speak with a planner and
ask questions about the exhibited materials.
Engagement activities
What we heard
• We received a total of 3,064 submissions
• This included:
• 265 submissions received from individuals in the community
• 2,761 submissions associated with the Coptic Church site
• 21 submissions from major landowners
• 17 submissions from councils, agencies, community and industry groups
Submissions summary
• Key concerns raised:
• ensuring infrastructure is provided to support new and existing residents
• managing traffic congestion and improving capacity of the train station
• ensuring adequate car parking
• proposed heights and densities
• ensuring view sharing for existing development
• distribution dwelling density across the precinct – more density requested in Cavell Avenue and Leeds Street
• the amount of new open space provided
• the public exhibition process
• There was support for:
• A new school, ferry wharf and new open space
Key issues raised in community submissions
• Key issues raised:
• requests for greater height and density
• requests to change character area boundary and zoning for the site
• car parking rates
• affordable housing requirements
• unit mix, floorplate sizes, and building separation controls
• consultation process
Submissions associated with the Coptic Church
• Key issues raised:
• requests for greater height and densities
• distribution of height and density across the precinct
• car parking rates
• solar access controls, particularly for McIlwaine Park and Union Square
• tower controls, such as floorplate size and building separation controls
• average apartment sizes
• feasibility of proposed controls
• developer contributions and infrastructure delivery
• changes to character area boundaries
Submissions from major landowners
• We received submissions from:
• Transport for NSW
• School Infrastructure NSW
• Government Architect NSW
• NSW Environmental Protection Authority
• Sydney Airport
• Heritage NSW
• Office of Sport
• Fire and Rescue NSW
Submissions from Government agencies
• We received submissions from:
• Canada Bay Council
• City of Ryde Council
• Canada Bay Bicycle User Group (BayBug)
• Dragon Sports Association
• Parramatta River Catchment Group
• City West Housing
• Urban Development Institute of Australia
• Property Council o Australia
• Urban Taskforce
Submissions from Councils and other organisations
Finalisation and
next steps
• Where are we up to?
• all submissions have been reviewed and analysed
• We are carefully reviewing the issues and feedback received to consider if any improvements can be
made to the exhibited draft Place Strategy
• We are working closely with our urban design experts to review key design issues
• We are continuing to work with council on post-exhibition issues
Finalisation of the Place Strategy
• What's next?
• finalising the Place Strategy and precinct rezoning, the final package will include:
• Rhodes Place Strategy
• Finalisation Report including response to submissions
• State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) amendment to update planning controls in the
Canada Bay Local Environmental Plan (LEP)
• Urban Design Report
• All submissions will be made available to view on the Department’s website
Finalisation of the Place Strategy