15 July 2021

Rhodes Community Committee

Rhodes precinct update

Draft Place

Strategy for

Rhodes

• The draft Rhodes Place Strategy establishes a framework to deliver up to 4,200 new homes and

approximately 1,000 jobs in the precinct over the next 20 years.

• This will be supported by:

• New public open space, including a foreshore park and waterfront promenade

• New pedestrian and cycling connections, including a new connection across Concord Road to

McIlwaine Park

• Upgrades to Rhodes Train Station

• New streets and road upgrades

• New primary school for up to 1,000 students

• The draft Place Strategy prepared in 2020 builds on the extensive precinct investigations and feedback

received over the last five years (including two previous exhibitions in 2017 and 2018/19)

Overview

• The draft Rhodes Place Strategy was exhibited between 31 August and 9 October 2020

• The exhibition period was for 6 weeks

• The exhibited package included:

• The draft Rhodes Place Strategy – including detailed master plans for the four character areas: Station

Gateway West, Station Gateway East, Cavell Avenue and Leeds Street

• An Explanation of Intended Effect (EIE) which explained the proposed amendments to planning

controls

• Urban Design Report

• In response to the exhibition we received over 3,000 submissions

• Almost 90% submissions related to the Coptic Church site

Exhibition details

Community

consultation

• Exhibition was widely notified:

• Notices were placed in The Daily Telegraph and the Inner West Courier

• Letters sent to 1,800 landowners

• Postcards distributed to 5,500 residents in Rhodes

• 795 Electronic Direct Mail (EDM) sent at start of exhibition to Rhodes webpage subscribers

• Social media advertising on Facebook and posts on Twitter and LinkedIn carried out by the

Department’s digital team

• Three A1 notice boards at Rhodes train station

• Letters to key stakeholders and agencies, including councils, state agencies and industry groups

Notification details

• A dedicated precinct webpage on the Department’s website which included all exhibition documents, a

community brochure (including translation into two primary community languages) and frequently asked

questions.

• A social pinpoint map allowed users to post comments on features of the draft Place Strategy

• An online survey provided opportunity for community to provide informal feedback

• Three online webinar sessions were held:

• Station Gateway West and Station Gateway East - Information Session - 15 September 2020

• Cavell Avenue and Leeds Street - Information Session - 17 September 2020

• Mandarin language information session - a presentation pre-recorded in Mandarin and a question and

answer session facilitated by a Mandarin interpreter – 7 October 2020

• One-on-one “Talk to a Planner” sessions allowed members of the public to book a session to ask questions

about the project.

• 28 sessions were offered, and various times made available for people to speak with a planner and

ask questions about the exhibited materials.

Engagement activities

What we heard

• We received a total of 3,064 submissions

• This included:

• 265 submissions received from individuals in the community

• 2,761 submissions associated with the Coptic Church site

• 21 submissions from major landowners

• 17 submissions from councils, agencies, community and industry groups

Submissions summary

• Key concerns raised:

• ensuring infrastructure is provided to support new and existing residents

• managing traffic congestion and improving capacity of the train station

• ensuring adequate car parking

• proposed heights and densities

• ensuring view sharing for existing development

• distribution dwelling density across the precinct – more density requested in Cavell Avenue and Leeds Street

• the amount of new open space provided

• the public exhibition process

• There was support for:

• A new school, ferry wharf and new open space

Key issues raised in community submissions

• Key issues raised:

• requests for greater height and density

• requests to change character area boundary and zoning for the site

• car parking rates

• affordable housing requirements

• unit mix, floorplate sizes, and building separation controls

• consultation process

Submissions associated with the Coptic Church

• Key issues raised:

• requests for greater height and densities

• distribution of height and density across the precinct

• car parking rates

• solar access controls, particularly for McIlwaine Park and Union Square

• tower controls, such as floorplate size and building separation controls

• average apartment sizes

• feasibility of proposed controls

• developer contributions and infrastructure delivery

• changes to character area boundaries

Submissions from major landowners

• We received submissions from:

• Transport for NSW

• School Infrastructure NSW

• Government Architect NSW

• NSW Environmental Protection Authority

• Sydney Airport

• Heritage NSW

• Office of Sport

• Fire and Rescue NSW

Submissions from Government agencies

• We received submissions from:

• Canada Bay Council

• City of Ryde Council

• Canada Bay Bicycle User Group (BayBug)

• Dragon Sports Association

• Parramatta River Catchment Group

• City West Housing

• Urban Development Institute of Australia

• Property Council o Australia

• Urban Taskforce

Submissions from Councils and other organisations

Finalisation and

next steps

• Where are we up to?

• all submissions have been reviewed and analysed

• We are carefully reviewing the issues and feedback received to consider if any improvements can be

made to the exhibited draft Place Strategy

• We are working closely with our urban design experts to review key design issues

• We are continuing to work with council on post-exhibition issues

Finalisation of the Place Strategy

• What's next?

• finalising the Place Strategy and precinct rezoning, the final package will include:

• Rhodes Place Strategy

• Finalisation Report including response to submissions

• State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) amendment to update planning controls in the

Canada Bay Local Environmental Plan (LEP)

• Urban Design Report

• All submissions will be made available to view on the Department’s website

Finalisation of the Place Strategy