Mirvac will be expected to pay towards affordable housing in Redfern and encourage active travel as part of conditions in the development approval for its proposed Australian Technology Park development in Eveleigh.
The NSW Department of Planning and Environment has this week referred its final assessment report to the independent Planning Assessment Commission for a final decision, with a recommendation the DA be approved subject to a number of conditions.
The final approval is expected within the next six to eight weeks, according to Simon Healy, Mirvac’s general manager commercial development.
The proposal comprises three buildings between four to nine storeys in height providing a mix of commercial office space, retail, community space, child care and a gymnasium.
The buildings are planned to achieve five star NABERS Energy and 6 Star Green Star V3 As Built ratings. In November 2015, Commonwealth Bank announced it would be relocating 10,000 staff to the site by 2020. The bank has a 15-year lease agreement for 93,000 square metres of office space across two buildings.
A consortium including Mirvac purchased the site from UrbanGrowth NSW in November 2015.
The department exhibited the development application in January and February this year, and received 98 public submissions, 92 of them objections to the proposal.
Key issues identified included the size and design of the nine-storey building and overshadowing; impacts on transport, traffic, walking and cycling; public benefit and contributions; and heritage and construction impacts.
The department responded to these concerns with some strict conditions, including a requirement for the developer to contribute financially towards upgrades to public space and community facilities in the wider Redfern and Waterloo area, and also to contribute funds towards affordable homes in the area.
Other conditions include implementing a Workplace Travel Plan to help workers get to the site using public transport, cycling or walking instead of drivingå, and removing an external car park at the western side of one of the buildings to provide better pedestrian access to the building and the planned child care centre next door.
The design of one of the buildings also has to be amended to reduce the impacts of overshadowing on properties south of Henderson Road; and a Community Access Plan has to be developed to ensure onsite facilities such as play areas, sports courts and fields, outdoor gym equipment and WiFi can be used by the local community.
Mr Healey said Mirvac had been working “very closely” with the department over the last 10 months to address considerations raised during the DA process.
“We look forward to the D/A approval and starting work on site with our partners,” he said.