Constructive meeting on Bays Precinct Project

A meeting between the Pyrmont Community Group and the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Brad Hazzard has created renewed residential optimism for the Bays Precinct Project.

Jean Stuart, President of the Pyrmont Community Group said the August 27 meeting had a positive outcome.

“We felt Mr Hazzard listened to us and had a visionary attitude,” Ms Stuart said. “The Minister understands that the government agency such as Ports and Maritime are protecting their individual turf and he has determined community input will be used to assist in determining the future of the Bays Precinct.”

Mr Hazzard was informed on local issues such as pollution, environmental mismanagement, the need for educational health and recreational opportunities in the Bays Precinct.

David Boddam-Whethan, a member of the Pyrmont Community Group, was in attendance at the meeting.

“Given the growing density of the precinct, there is a need for increased public access, walking and cycling to the foreshores as well as the proper management of existing leases to return financial gain to the community,” Mr Boddam-Whethan said.

A follow up meeting between the Pyrmont Residents Group and Mr Hazzard is anticipated soon.

In contrast Leichhardt Mayor Rochelle Porteous felt the public consultation process has been inadequate. She said: “the public consultation process has been rushed and the community has not really had the opportunity to have their say on the Bays Precinct.

“There appears to be a clear agenda to allow the Sydney Ports, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and Maritime to go ahead with their already preconceived plans to grant leases to a number of operators”.

Ms Porteous said information on leases has been far from transparent.

“We have argued again and again that we need to have clear information about the leases that are currently on the Bays Precinct,” she said. “We need to ensure that we are not seeing long term leases being granted because the aim is for only short term leases if we are going to get a good outcome for the community.

“The longer any leases are being granted the more we are going to loose out of the community not getting what we want in the Bays Precinct.”

Leichhardt Council has been stringently campaigning for 25 per cent of the Bays Precinct to be community land allocated for sporting fields, open space, quality foreshore access and active transport corridors.