The Heritage Council of NSW believes that the revised plan for an above-station ‘deck’ at Sydney’s Central Station will compromise the existing heritage of the area, claiming that low-rise building options have been completely ignored by the NSW Government.
If completed, the $11 billion proposal would see the 24 hectare site completely revamped, comprising 14 buildings, pedestrian thoroughfares and outdoor plazas. Building height maximums sit at 34 storeys, but the Heritage Council holds concerns about heritage impacts, urban design, wind tunnels and shadowing.
The local community took great interest in the government’s initial proposal, with over 350 submissions made in regards to the first rendition of plans, most of which were overwhelmingly negative. In revised plans, the NSW Government had reduced the total floorspace of the precinct by 10,600 sqm, increased public space and created a new civic square and had altered the initial configuration of the precinct.
Minutes from a November Heritage Council meeting indicate the organisation believes that the heritage impacts have not been minimised through the plan’s revision, nor have low-rise options been explored. Council Chairman, Frank Howarth, believes that low office occupancy rates in the CBD indicate that high-rise commercial towers are not the answer for the precinct.
“We question whether the amount of gross floor area they’re proposing to put in can be economically justified post-COVID,” he says in a Sydney Morning Herald article.
“We believe Transport for NSW really hasn’t demonstrated that there will be adequate demand for those buildings should they go ahead and build them.”
Transport for NSW is keen to go ahead with the proposal, claiming that the land deck will provide space for housing and public space, commercial tenancy and hospitality. The governmental body says it aims to maintain the heritage of the Central Station precinct, with the heritage Council concerned about sightlines to Central’s clock tower being obstructed due to the development.
The revised rezoning proposal for the precinct will undergo evaluation by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, which will then provide a recommendation to Planning Minister Paul Scully for the ultimate decision.
