Bradfield Oration: The dawn of a new Bays Precinct to create ‘Silicon Harbour’
THE derelict relic of the inner-west foreshore will be transformed into a world-class technology hub under a radical plan to create a “Silicon Harbour” centre.
NSW
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- Inside the abandoned White Bay power station in Rozelle
- ‘You don’t get progress without disruption’: Mike Baird’s speech
IT was the engine room of Sydney’s great industrial age, and now the derelict relic of the inner-west foreshore will be transformed into a world-class technology hub under a radical plan by Premier Mike Baird to create a “Silicon Harbour” innovation centre.
The plan to revitalise the Bays Precinct at White Bay, Glebe Island and Rozelle was announced by the Premier last night as he delivered the second annual Daily Telegraph Bradfield Oration in honour of the great engineer John Bradfield who built the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The Baird government’s vision is for a Glebe Island-White Bay tech precinct to rival London’s Tech City, New York’s Roosevelt Island and even California’s Silicon Valley.
Mr Baird said the development of the precinct, which includes 95ha of land and 5.5km of prime waterfrontage just 2km from the city centre, was “the most exciting urban renewal project in Australia, if not the world”.
“We rightly think about Bradfield’s era as a transformative time for Sydney, but I believe right now we are entering an equally exciting era that will also mark the pages of history,” Mr Baird said last night.
“Like Bradfield, we must focus on the future. We cannot be left behind.
“Over the next 25 years, the digital economy will grow as a share of the total economy from just over 5 per cent now, to 22 per cent in 2040.
The government will next week call for formal proposals to transform the White Bay Power Station into a vibrant waterfront destination that could be the regional headquarters of a global tech company, a campus for university or educational institution, or a business attracted to the idea of being at the front end of this exciting transformation.
Among the ideas for White Bay that have emerged in recent months include a so-called “Google hub”, based on similar precincts in London, Chicago and San Francisco, and another from NSW Health for a “MedTech City”.
Proposals from interested parties will be accepted until February 2016, with construction expected to begin in 2017.
The government believes a site that has been unused since 1983 sits as a blight on the harbour and that it can be transformed into a vibrant waterfront destination.
As the White Bay Power Station is redeveloped, the government will look to change Glebe Island from a working port to a “technology and innovation hub”.
The government is also understood to be considering a light rail spur to go from Annandale down to the White Bay Cruise Ship terminal.
“Right next door to the greatest harbour in the greatest city in the world, we have an ugly urban wasteland,” Mr Baird told The Telegraph.
“The industrial waterfront of Glebe Island and the White Bay Power Station will be transformed into a global centre for hi-tech jobs and innovation. It will be a place where global giants of technology and innovation cluster and connect with start-up entrepreneurs, business incubators and accelerators.
“Like London’s Tech City, New York’s Roosevelt Island, and California’s Silicon Valley, we can create Australia’s quantum harbour.
“In the short term, Glebe Island will continue to play an important role as a working port, but over the next decade we will see a dramatic transformation for this incredible foreshore site, from importing sand to exporting silicon.”
Infrastructure Minister Andrew Constance has previously said the Bays Precinct could be home to up to 16,000 homes but it is understood it will now be a commercial and residential mix.
Next March, the government will call for expressions of interest for developing the site around the Sydney Fish Market at Pyrmont as part of the revitalisation of the area.
“Today Sydney is a very different place from the city Bradfield steered towards this century,” Mr Baird said.
“But we can see parallels. Bradfield faced a population boom and public transport challenges. And he also faced opposition.
“It is rare that anything significant comes easily. Big projects will face resistance every step of the way, but they are exactly what we need to put this city ahead of the curve.”
Speaking of the Bay area project, Mr Baird said: “Already NSW is Australia’s ICT capital and many global tech companies have chosen Sydney as the base for their Australian and Asia Pacific operations, including SurveyMonkey, Google, Facebook and Twitter.
“This commitment to technology and innovation sends a global signal that Sydney is a place for investment, a place for start-ups, a place that is geared towards the future.”
Last night’s announcement follows the development of Barangaroo, the promised metro rail line, light rail lines through the city and Parramatta and local government amalgamations.
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