Conybeare Morrison has created a precinct design for Wentworth Point to help tackle Sydney’s housing affordability and supply issues.

This development is part of the NSW Government's Urban Activation Precincts program, which aims to deliver more homes in places with access to infrastructure, transport, services and jobs.

According to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald earlier this year, the population of Sydney rose by 6.5 per cent between 2006 and 2011. However, in the same period, homelessness increased by more than 31 per cent, with the number of people living in an overcrowded house rising by 56 per cent.

One underlying cause of this trend is basic supply and demand: in the past five years, an average of 14,000 new homes a year were built in Sydney, compared with an average of 21,000 in the preceding five years, and 28,000 in the five years before that.

Rezoning 18.5 hectares of vacant and industrial land at Wentworth Point for residential use is part of the government's strategy to counter this problem.

The proposed precinct design includes a range of low, mid and high-rise residential buildings housing 2300 apartments.

At the same time, a new 3.9 hectare peninsula park along with three new pocket parks, foreshore and walking paths at least 20m wide, an 18 classroom school with playing fields, and new maritime facilities for rowing, kayaking, and dry boat storage are part of the plan. The nearby Hill and Bennelong Roads will also be upgraded to accommodate the increased population.

Residents in this new site, which is adjacent to the Sydney Olympic Parklands, are expected to be able to walk to expanded Sydney Harbour ferry services and take advantage of the proposed bridge across Homebush Bay to access Rhodes railway station.

According to the NSW Government, Wentworth Point was chosen for its close proximity to the Sydney and Parramatta CBDs.

Conybeare Morrison, a multi-disciplinary architectural and urban design consultancy, was commissioned as the project’s lead designer. Its work included the preparation of the masterplan, visions for the built form, public domain and landscape resolutions, 3D visualisations and animation. Landscape works are carried out by CONTEXT Landscape Design.

“The plans will help us meet Sydney’s housing needs while at the same time create new open space and recreation trails…in line with the aims of our draft Metropolitan Strategy,” says the Department’s Planning Strategy, Housing and Infrastructure Deputy Director-General Stephen McIntyre.

A detailed planning report, zoning maps and development control plan for Wentworth Point is now open for public comment until 16 August. Community information sessions are also being held on 25 and 27 July.

For more information, please click here.