With part of this historic suburb set for a huge rezoning and redevelopment, state and local governments have decided that the area deserves its own name.
A brand-new suburb is set to rise just minutes from Sydney’s CBD, with the NSW government moving forward with plans announced in March to deliver up to 8500 new homes on a site that's currently being called “Bays West”.
The "Bays West" site is set for a huge redevelopment into a residential area, and a new name to go with it. Image: Supplied
Encompassing the locations of White Bay, Glebe Island, Rozelle Bay and Rozelle Parklands, the 77-hectare area is currently part of Rozelle, which was officially named in the late 1800s reportedly after the abundance of Rosellas that populated the area.
Currently, most of the site is populated by a port facility. Much of this activity will be moved to Port Kembla, on the Illawarra coast. Deep-water port facilities are set to be retained at the site.
Once complete, it’s set to be one of the most populous suburbs of the Inner West Council area. The government has also mandated that 10% of the new homes be reserved for affordable housing and essential workers.
Inner West Council mayor Darcy Byrne has told media that when it comes to naming the new suburb, he believes “we can do something more imaginative than Bays West”.
The NSW government has confirmed that a public consultation will be part of the renaming, though the choice will not ultimately be up to public vote.
International designers to weigh in
The renaming process will kick off alongside an international design competition to create an urban framework to define the “character, ambition and long-term identity” of the former industrial precinct, according to the NSW government.
Launching with an invitation for a global Expressions of Interest, the competition will then move to an invitation-only stage. This will be assessed by a panel that will provide advice to the NSW cabinet, who will select a winner.
An artist's impression of the completed Bays West site. Image: supplied
To oversee the entire project, the NSW government has created the Bays West Delivery Authority, a new agency within the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, reporting into the NSW Minister for Lands and Property.
Minister for lands and property Steve Kamper said that so far the new authority was working at “a record pace to deliver an international design competition, planning pathways and a financial model so that this development benefits Sydney with well-designed homes in a central location, close to public transport, jobs, entertainment and essential services”.
“If we want Sydney to stay liveable and affordable, we need to be bold about using underutilised government-owned land to deliver homes for the future while making sure essential working harbour functions can be accommodated.”
NSW premier Chris Minns described the project as a “generational opportunity to build a new suburb on the city’s edge and open the harbour foreshore to the public for the first time in a century”.
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