Woolwich Marina’s $8.5m expansion plan rejected over Sydney Harbour impact concerns

Planning officials have sunk an $8.5 million plan by a Sydney Harbour marina to almost double its capacity due to concerns over traffic and a known shipwreck near the site.

A concept image of the proposed marina expansion.

Multimillion-dollar plans by a Sydney Harbour marina to almost double its capacity have been sunk by planning officials after sparking backlash from residents and a vocal boating community.

The Sydney North Planning Panel says “significant issues of concern” remain over an $8.5 million proposal by Woolwich Marina to build new mooring facilities to accommodate 35 extra boats at the site.

The marina, located on the Parramatta River, currently caters for 36 vessels measuring up to 18m in length.

The expansion was proposed to boost the site’s capacity to 71 boats measuring up to 35m in length.

The release of plans last year sparked staunch opposition from local sailing clubs and many nearby homeowners due to concerns including impacts on views, noise, traffic congestion and navigation impacts on the harbour.

There were also concerns about potential impacts on a known shipwreck near the site and other nearby heritage sites including Kellys Bush Park in Hunters Hill.

The planning panel – which refused the application at a meeting last week – stated there had been inadequate communication between the marina and Hunters Hill Council to resolve issues of concern.

“While the current marina has operated for a considerable time with community support, there was a lack of public support for expansion but there also seemed to be a lack of public awareness of the actual extent of the expansion plans and the realistic extent of their impact on water activities and the surrounding environment,” the panel stated in its refusal.

A concept image of the proposed expansion.

“The panel is of the view that this reflects the inadequacies of the application.”

The proposal was partly aimed at addressing the sharp rise in demand for berthing space for large vessels which has increased from 8065 vessels in 2009 to 9282 vessels in 2019.

The marina - in its plans - stated the need for more berthing and mooring facilities within Sydney Harbour has been exacerbated by the closure of other commercial marinas, including Blackwattle Bay.

The development would have catered for larger vessels.

“As well as this, boat ownership has increased at an anomalously higher rate during the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in further demand for mooring facilities and berthing spaces at commercial marinas,” the plans added.

But many local sailing clubs have spoken out about the proposal due to concerns over navigational impacts and potential “boat congestion” on the busy stretch of water.

Drummoyne Sailing Club commodore Stephen Brady called the proposal “ludicrous”.

“It will not only narrow the channel – which takes in an incredible amount of traffic anyway – but also introduce an influx of bigger boats,” he said.

The development had a proposed cost of $8.5 million.

The planning panel’s refusal of the plans was also based on inadequate consultation with the local Aboriginal land council in regards to heritage values of the local area.

The proposal had also involved relocating existing swing moorings while eight additional carparking spaces would be created, bringing the total number at the marina to 20.

Figures from the National Marine Manufacturers Association reported boat sales at a 13-year high in 2020, and manufacturing of new boats has also seen significant increases.

The Woolwich Marina has been contacted for comment about the decision but did not respond at the time of publication.