Social InfrastructureClare BurnettThu 17 Sep 26
Scully Calls Halt to $150m Sydney Town Hall Square Redevelopment
The NSW Minister for Planning has blocked the $150-million Sydney Town Hall Square redevelopment that has been in the works since the 1980s.
The City of Sydney approved the funding for the project in August, revealing plans for a 4500sq m crescent-shaped plaza.
Seven buildings are to be demolished to make way for the project, which has been in the works for 40 years when the city bought the first property on the site in 1985.
Construction was due to get under way in 2028 and complete in 2031, with community consultation planned for later this year.
But the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully issued a direction on September 17 to prevent the determination of any development applications associated with the town hall square redevelopment.
Scully said in a statement that the state required public advice on its State Significance from the Independent Planning Commission (IPC).
“The proposal, as it stands, would have significant impact on the commercial heart of Sydney’s CBD, requiring the demolition of seven buildings and an expenditure of at least $150 million in ratepayer funds,” the minister said.
As such, it was appropriate to request timely advice from an independent body, he said.
Once the IPC’s advice is made public, the government could determine whether it should be declared State Significant.
The City of Sydney had big plans for the site, with Lord Mayor Clover Moore saying the project would be as grand as the plazas of Vienna and Rome, but with an Australian twist.
The plaza, designed by JPW and ASPECT Studios, would be available for special events and activations, with deep soil planting for trees providing 50 per cent canopy cover.
Back in August, Moore confirmed that one building had yet to be acquired.
The proposals had factored in the cost of the acquisition as well as the demolition of the remaining buildings, compared to the $200-million bill for upgrading the existing buildings to market standards, the City of Sydney said.
The Town Hall precinct has changed significantly in recent years, with light rail and Metro connections bringing 190,000 people into the precinct every day, it said.
The council wants to build on the revitalisation of George Street into a pedestrian boulevard, which has already attracted more than $8 billion in private development, it said.
“The square will provide a welcoming arrival point to the city,” the city said.
City of Sydney Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Miller told media that the decision was “disappointing… and to have the kind of state significant magic wand kind of waved over this is really awful”.
