Future of Liverpool: ‘We don’t want sky-high slums of the future’
Developer lobby the Urban Taskforce has created a projection of what the Liverpool metropolis will look like in 2036, incorporating the current 93m tall Liberty Tower. But the local mayor doesn’t want the area to turn into city slums.
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A sea of towers 25 storeys tall and covered in greenery would provide the skyline for Liverpool.
The bold vision has been endorsed by the city’s current Labor Mayor — with one proviso: “We don’t want slums of the future.”
Developer lobby the Urban Taskforce has created a projection of what the south west Sydney metropolis will look like in 2036, incorporating the city’s current 93m tall Liberty Tower.
It envisages a CBD lined with green-walled towers providing a mix of office space and apartment blocks.
The drawing incorporates the current 93m Liberty Tower and a series of green-walled towers that are a mix of office towers and apartment blocks.
“The vision is pretty balanced to be honest,” Liverpool Mayor Wendy Waller told The Daily Telegraph.
“As long as there is quality design and people can live with it in terms of aesthetics and it has green space to match — and by the look of it this does — then it will be acceptable to the future residents of Liverpool and the current residents.”
Liverpool Council has about $1.8 billion in towers being considered right now. That relates to at least six towers of about 25 storeys each.
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Liverpool’s 93m Liberty Tower has 300 apartments and is the starkest example of the area’s new direction.
Aside from Parramatta, Liverpool Council has the tallest buildings in Western Sydney.
But Ms Waller said she does not want to see the city turn into Parramatta.
“Personally I don’t like Parramatta — I think it has become very towery and very cold,” she said.
“There is a lot of height and shadowing and you have lost the softness of the CBD.
“If you are building anything I think it should have an iconic presence and something that people can admire rather than just another apartment building.
“I know that can be asking a lot but that’s what we expect. We don’t want slums for the future.”
Liverpool Council’s population is set to increase from 214,000 in 2016 to 331,000 in 2036 — a 54 per cent increase.
Much of that growth will also be driven by the expansion of Liverpool Hospital and the aerotropolis being built at Badgerys Creek airport.
Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson said Liverpool has already transferred towards being a high-rise city with a number of mixed use and apartment buildings being built in the centre.
“As Western Sydney grows so will the town centre of Liverpool as more jobs are generated, university campuses open and a bustling cosmopolitan centre attracts residents into urban apartment buildings,” he said.
“Liverpool is part of the Western Parkland City so green landscape has been incorporated into the buildings a green walls or roof top gardens.”
PERFECT SPOT FOR A VERTICAL FAMILY
Convenience, security and affordability attracted professional couple Bhavika Mevada and Subash Mawji to live in Liverpool’s tallest building.
The pair moved from the UK seven months ago and say they’re excited to see the south west Sydney suburb reach its potential.
They’re renting one of 300 apartments in the 93m Liberty Tower building on Macquarie St.
“There are a lot more apartments coming into the area so we’re excited to see how the area benefits,” Ms Mevada, 31, said.
“The new airport will bring more people and jobs to the area. The high street definitely needs more shops and restaurants for people to unwind.
“Having an airport nearby will be a plus for us.”
The couple chose Liverpool because of its bustling nature and the fact it is between Ms Mevada’s finance job in the city and Mr Mawji’s GP practice in Ingleburn near Campbelltown.
They also like the 24-hour CCTV security facilities.
They know many young families who are living in their building and say they would be happy raising children in an apartment.
“Looking after a child while also maintaining a house would be difficult,” Ms Mevada said.
“As a starting point what we have here is great for us. It is very low maintenance.”
Originally published as Future of Liverpool: ‘We don’t want sky-high slums of the future’
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