Glebe Island to accomodate 8,500 new homes near new Bays Metro Station

The Minns Labor Government is today unveiling a game-changing new precinct at Bays West – delivering up to 8,500 well-located homes, including a minimum of 10 per cent affordable and essential worker homes - directly above the new Bays West Metro Station currently under construction.

The landmark transformation will convert underutilised government-owned port land on the Harbour into Sydney’s newest suburb, while retaining important deep-water port facilities to support Sydney’s working harbour.

Located just minutes from the Sydney CBD and connected to a world-class metro, ferry, walking and cycling links, the Bays West precinct will rebalance housing growth towards well-serviced inner-city locations and help tackle the state’s housing crisis.

Affordable housing will be embedded from the outset, including dedicated homes for essential workers such as nurses, teachers, paramedics, firefighters and police so they can live closer to the communities they serve.

The precinct will combine new housing with public open space, opening public access to the waterfront for the first time in more than 100 years.

Night-time entertainment and creative industries will be anchored by the revitalisation of the historic White Bay Power Station as a cultural and community destination, connected to the harbour across a new expansive public forecourt.

Planning of the area will prioritise connectivity, including active transport links to neighbouring communities such as Rozelle, Balmain and Glebe, improved pedestrian access to the waterfront, and connections to the CBD, including an active transport link across the Glebe Island Bridge.

The Government will lead a master planning process that will include an international design competition to guide development across the precinct, ensuring homes, essential infrastructure, jobs, public spaces and transport links are delivered together.

It will be led by a new delivery agency to be established over the coming weeks, which will report to Minister Kamper who already has oversight of major precinct renewal projects including at Blackwattle Bay and Barangaroo. Once established, the publicly owned land in the precinct will be transferred to the new agency.

This is the first new suburb that has been built in inner Sydney in decades, it will see homes built alongside the Bays West Metro Station ensuring young people, families and downsizers are only minutes away from the CBD. As part of the transformation of the Bays West precinct, bulk port operations – including cement, gypsum and sugar handling – will cease on Glebe Island by no later than 2030.

The Government will work closely with industry to minimise impacts and ensure the continuity of supply. This includes a commitment of $270 million to improve road connections around the port at Port Kembla and to investigate increased rail freight capacity.

Working harbour operations across the precinct will be consolidated, mostly into White Bay, ensuring the precinct will continue to provide critical services for the harbour, including boat maintenance and marine construction and as a base for tug boats and for emergency services.

A new staging area will be established in White Bay, securing the future of the New Year’s Eve fireworks, Vivid and other major events for decades to come.

The cruise terminal will be retained in its current location, meaning tourists arriving in Sydney will be welcomed by the new precinct, with new shore-power facilities currently being installed that will reduce noise and emissions. The Sydney Heritage Fleet will also be offered new premises in White Bay.

Deep-water berths will be retained to preserve Sydney Harbour’s strategic operational capability, and the removal of the existing 1970s industrial silos, currently used as a billboard, as well as to store cement and sugar, will unlock new opportunities for public space and future housing.

“Right above a new metro station and minutes from the CBD, we’re delivering thousands of homes where people actually need them - close to work, close to services and close to transport," Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said.

“Importantly, this precinct will include affordable and essential worker housing from day one, so nurses, teachers, paramedics and police can live closer to the communities they serve.

“We understand that not everyone will welcome change, but cities don’t stand still. If Sydney is going to remain a place young people and families can afford to live in, we have to use well-located land better and plan for the future.”