Sydney's New Harbour Precinct - Winning Plan for Barangaroo

Premier Kristina Keneally today announced the NSW Government has selected the proponent to develop and create the $6 billion Barangaroo precinct.

Over 3000 construction jobs will be created over the life of Barangaroo's creation. Once completed, 20,000 will be created in the new financial precinct.

Ms Keneally said the winning design, created by Lend Lease working with Australian and international architects and landscape architects, offers a striking vision for Sydney.

"This Barangaroo design will cement Sydney as an innovative and global city as well as the financial hub of the Asia-Pacific," Ms Keneally said.

"The commercial and business core has been set amid extensive public places and parks, further establishing Sydney as one of the world's most liveable cities.

"The landmark design unfurls towards the harbour through a spectacular fan of
towers and a series of striking waterfront public spaces.

"Public spaces include a large southern cove, while the signature fan of buildings
culminates in landmark building perched in the harbour at the end of a public pier.

"Designed to evoke the tall ships that played a crucial role in the city's early history, the building links Sydney's past and future.

"This will take our city's built environment to a new level. Business, retail, residential, education and tourism uses will stretch the length of the waterfront.

Set within the 430,000 square metre precinct, the commercial and business core of Barangaroo will include a 30,000 square metre shopping precinct.

Financial Features

• Substantive fixed payments to the State
• Bank and corporate guarantees
• Share of project's financial success
• Lend Lease carries the entire development risk and funds the overall outcome
• Lend Lease funds, and Government delivers, Headland Park, ferry terminal,relocation of cruise ship terminal, connections to Wynyard and new Metro station

Design Features

• A fan of towers radiating from the CBD through to the harbour
• Landmark public waterfront spaces
• Strong pedestrian and public transport connections
• Respect for history and heritage of Millers Point and Walsh Bay

Sustainability Features

• Climate Positive, setting world standards through the following measures
• Carbon neutral, through groundbreaking energy-efficient design and on and off-site renewable energy generation
• Water positive, through on-site water collection and treatment
• Generating zero waste, through reducing, reusing and recycling

As part of the announcement about the future of Barangaroo, Minister for Ports and Waterways Paul McLeay announced the State Government has decided to permanently relocate the Cruise Passenger Terminal to White Bay Wharf 5.

Last year the Government announced the Cruise Passenger Terminal would be
relocated from East Darling Harbour.

"Barangaroo construction would severely interrupt cruise ship operations, and the customs and migration exclusion zones would have been incompatible with the area," said Mr McLeay.

"That's why the new purpose-built cruise passenger terminal facility will be built at White Bay 5, with a secondary berthing capability at White Bay 4.

"Today's announcement will provide certainty for the cruise ship industry, helping protect the city's reputation as a world-class tourism destination.

"The cruise industry in Australia grew 18 per cent from 2002 to 2008. About 250,000 people arrive in Sydney by cruise ship, and that will increase to 800,000 by 2018."

Minister for Planning, Tony Kelly, said the decision on the location of the Cruise
Passenger Terminal followed extensive public and industry consultation.

"Today's decision follows feedback from the Cruise Passenger Terminal Steering
Committee, an online consultation forum and a community reference group," Mr Kelly said.

"Importantly, the majority of feedback, including from the cruise industry, was in support of White Bay as the preferred location of the cruise passenger terminal."

Mr McLeay said that in comparison to a number of other sites considered by the
steering committee, White Bay offered a number of benefits. That includes:

• Existing deep water quayside infrastructure
• The ability to manoeuvre and berth two vessels end-on-end simultaneously
• Potential to re-establish harbour views from surrounding public street and residential areas by reducing the scale and size of the new terminal
• Increased public access to the foreshore along Bays Precinct when ships are not in port (subject to a public risk assessment).
• A traffic management solution using James Craig Rd as a purpose-built access road, to protect local residents' amenity.

"Planning for the new terminal will commence immediately, with construction expected to start in early 2011 for completion in 2012," Mr McLeay said.

"Any development applications for the new terminal will be put out to public consultation via an exhibition process."