- Sydney is set to get its first new suburb in decades, with the industrial precinct around Glebe Island to become Bays West.
- The New South Wales government announced the project, which promises to deliver 8,500 new homes within a decade.
- The site of the state-owned land is above the Bays Metro station (currently under-construction) and near the western end of the Anzac Bridge.
Sydney’s about to get a brand-new inner-city suburb, and it’s happening on one of the harbour’s last “hands-off” industrial frontiers.
The NSW Government has confirmed plans to transform Glebe Island and parts of White Bay into Bays West, a new waterfront neighbourhood set to deliver up to 8,500 homes, with the precinct effectively built around the new Bays Metro station currently under construction.
Unsurprisingly, land this close to the CBD (about 2km west) is too valuable to stay locked behind port gates forever.
So under the plan, the public gets long-awaited foreshore access, as well as a promise that at least 10% of homes will be set aside as affordable housing for essential workers. There’s also talk of 25% open space; because yes, the iconic Glebe Island silos are also slated to go.
The trade-off in this new project is that the bulk port operations are expected to cease by 2030, with freight activity shifting away from Glebe Island (including to Port Kembla), with some deep-water functions remaining in the area.
The government’s framing is “working harbour, but smarter,” prioritising housing and culture on the doorstep of world-class transport, without completely getting rid of the maritime infrastructure.
White Bay Power Station is positioned as the precinct’s cultural anchor, and an international design competition is expected to help shape what Bays West actually looks and feels like, including the possibility of some seriously tall towers.
In other words, Sydney’s getting a new suburb and the next decade will decide whether it’s an all-time urban win, or just another shiny postcode.
