Traffic, noise impacts linger over $250 million Sydney Fish Market plans

FINAL designs for the new Sydney Fish Market have been revealed, but big questions remain about traffic congestion, public transport and noise impacts on homes and one of the inner city’s largest high schools - Sydney Secondary College.

A concept plan of the new market, which will extend out over Blackwattle Bay.

FINAL designs for the new Sydney Fish Market have been revealed, showing the project will include a new ferry stop, public wharves and a “fish scale-inspired” roof.

But big questions remain about traffic congestion, public transport and noise impacts on nearby homes and one of the inner city’s largest high schools - Sydney Secondary College.

Expected to open in 2023, the $250 million project will be built next to the existing market on a strip of land at the southern end of Blackwattle Bay, currently occupied by Hanson Cement.

A public walkway features in the new plans.

The concept images show the redevelopment will almost double the size of the existing market and extend approximately 140m out over the water.

Inside the market will be an auction house, kiosks, restaurants, bars and expanded cooking school.

There will also be public wharves, a new ferry stop and a 300m “promenade” linking the Glebe side of Blackwattle Bay to the Pyrmont side.

The location of the new market.

Unveiling the plans on Tuesday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the project would become the “centrepiece of a new harbour precinct”, and “return Blackwattle Bay’s foreshore to the public”.

But concerns remain about impacts on traffic congestion, parking, and public transport as well as noise impacts on the adjacent Sydney Secondary College Blackwattle Bay campus.

A concept image of the new fish market, which is predicted to see tourism numbles double to six million per year.

The City of Sydney has called on Urban Growth, which is developing the project, to assess noise impacts on the high school along with traffic and parking in school pick up and drop off times.

The council also wants detailed traffic and pedestrian studies generated from existing, approved and planned developments in the area.

This includes the 2760 new apartments earmarked to be built on the existing fish market site, which would be sold to fund the redevelopment.

A concept plan of the public “promenade”.

Balmain State Greens MP Jamie Parker criticised the plan as an “enormous lost opportunity” for more local open space and community facilities.

“The details released... are designed to deliver public waterfront land to property developers at the expense of our local community,” he said.

“This area is one of the most densely populated in Sydney, and already suffers from a massive under-provision of community recreation facilities, public green space and a light rail that is at capacity.

“Visitor numbers are expected to double to six million a year but there is no strategic public transport plan beyond a single new ferry stop.”

A concept site plan of the new market.

Urban Taskforce, which represents Australia’s largest property developers, welcomed the project, stating it would “stimulate a new wave of development” in the suburb.

Other major projects planned in the area include the Star Casino redevelopment, which would include 204 new apartments.

Urban Growth said the new market would “provide stronger connections between the harbour foreshore and Wentworth Park”.

The Environmental Impact Statement, which will include traffic studies, is expected to be released later this year.

If approved construction is due to start in mid-2019 and will be completed by 2023.

The existing fish market will continue to operate as normal during construction.

FACTBOX

The existing fish market in the largest in the southern hemisphere, trading about 14,500 tonnes of seafood per year.

Gladys Berejiklian said the market attracts more visitors per year than the Great Barrier Reef, and accounts for around 20 per cent of international visitors to the Sydney region.

The new market will include basement level car parking, a ground floor auction house, wholesale tenancies, fishing vessel wharves and loading dock.

It will also have a first floor market hall consisting of restaurants, food stalls, fresh seafood sales and retail, a mezzanine level office space, bar and the Sydney Seafood School.

The fish scale-inspired roof will be topped with 350 white triangular panels and skylights.

The building design was carried out by Danish architects 3XN in partnership with Sydney firms BVN and Aspect Studios.

Hanson Cement will relocate to Glebe Island to make way for the new project.