Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct Renewal
Project overview
The NSW Government is transforming one of the most well-connected areas, the Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct, into a great new place for Sydney.
Development in the Precinct will enable the jobs of the future, provide housing, and create new open spaces and places for people to socialise.
We aim to create a place that celebrates the rich industrial, Aboriginal and creative roots of the Precinct and where everyone feels welcome both day and night.
Key benefits
- Providing a mixed-use Precinct, with housing, offices, new open spaces and places to socialise.
- Supporting the delivery of Australia’s biggest technology and innovation hub between Central and Eveleigh known as Tech Central, enabling high quality office space to support the jobs of the future.
- Respecting the rich Aboriginal and industrial heritage of the Precinct.
- Opening up the Precinct for the first time in about 100 years and improving connections in the Precinct and to surrounding areas.
- Upgrading Redfern Station, including a new southern concourse, to improve accessibility and connections to key destinations in the area.
Creating new Sydney destinations
The NSW Government is shaping NSW cities, centres and communities for generations to come by revitalising major transport interchanges. We’re thinking beyond the infrastructure and service requirements and focusing on what transport enables. Transport for NSW and the NSW Transport Asset Holding Entity, the site owners, are in a unique position to transform this infrastructure into new Sydney destinations.
Redfern North Eveleigh is one of three urban renewal projects shaping the future of Sydney. Together with Central Precinct Renewal and Circular Quay Renewal, Redfern North Eveleigh will give communities 34 hectares of a revitalised CBD that will change the face of Sydney.
We’re working with the people of NSW to ensure these new Sydney destinations reflect the uniqueness of each iconic location and community.
Where is Redfern North Eveleigh?
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The 10-hectare Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct comprises three sub-precincts named after heritage buildings on the site:
The Clothing Store Sub-Precinct: The western entry point to the site. The Clothing Store Sub-Precinct will have a residential character integrated with community uses to create a vibrant inner-city place designed for living. The adaptive re-use of the Clothing Store and new public domain will create a great place for people.
The Carriageworks Sub-Precinct: The existing Carriageworks is an exemplar display of vibrant, adaptive re-use and forms the cultural heart of the Precinct.
The Paint Shop Sub-Precinct: Adjacent to Redfern Station, the Sub-Precinct will connect to its surrounds via the new Southern Concourse. There will be innovative office spaces, residential, retail and community uses, open urban spaces and parks, and the adaptive re-use of heritage buildings, including the iconic Paint Shop building.
While each Sub-Precinct will be a place with its own distinct character, they will form a connected and unified new place for Redfern.
Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct Vision
The vision for Redfern North Eveleigh is to be a connected centre for living, creativity, and employment opportunities that supports the jobs of the future. It will be an inclusive, active, and sustainable place for everyone, where communities gather.
The first version of the Strategic Vision was released in early 2021 to guide the renewal of the Precinct. Feedback from stakeholders and the community during the vision’s development was instrumental in shaping this important planning document.
As part of the rezoning process, this Strategic Vision has now been updated to include additional key elements such as Connecting with Country and further context about the Precinct’s role in innovation.
What is happening at the Paint Shop Sub-Precinct?
The proposal to rezone the Paint Shop Sub-Precinct, as part of the renewal of the Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct, has been Determined by the NSW Minster for Planning.
The determination follows the public display of the Paint Shop Sub-Precinct Rezoning Proposal from 26 July until 25 August 2022, and preparation of a Paint Shop Sub Precinct Rezoning What We Heard Report.
The ‘What We Heard Report' and other supporting reports are available to view at: www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/paintshop
554 submissions were received from community members and key stakeholder organisations in response to the Rezoning Proposal.
We would like to thank the community for its involvement to date in the planning for the Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct Renewal.
Further information:
Community newsletter: Approval of the Paint Shop Sub-Precinct Rezoning Proposal (PDF, 1.4 MB)
Need for the Rezoning Proposal
The Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct is part of a declared State Significant Precinct (SSP) and the Minister for Planning is the consent authority for major development proposals.
Previously, the Concept Plan for the Precinct (approved in 2008) formed the planning controls over the site and took precedence over any other Environmental Planning Instruments. However, due to significant changes since 2008 in the physical and social environment of surrounding areas, and the need to meet growth requirements, the renewal approach for the Precinct needed to be revised.
While the 2008 Concept Plan was to deliver a limited mixed-use Precinct, including residential, commercial, retail and cultural uses, the planning controls for the Paint Shop Sub-Precinct needed to change for the Strategic Vision to be realised.
As part of the Rezoning application, we completed an SSP assessment, which involved a range of technical studies such as heritage, transport and environment as outlined in the SSP assessment requirements. These assessments supported the proposed changes to planning controls for the Paint Shop Sub-Precinct.
Key elements of the rezoning proposal:
Retain more than 90% of existing high-value trees
Achieve an overall greening coverage of 40% of the Paint Shop Sub-Precinct
Deliver shaded seating and sunlit parks
Achieve a minimum 5 Star Green Star Communities rating
Achieve a minimum 5 Star Green Star Buildings rating
Support more than 8,000 jobs during construction and the creation of more than 16,000 direct and indirect jobs post-construction
Create high-quality office space to support the jobs of the future
Support Australia’s biggest technology and innovation hub between Central and Eveleigh, known as Tech Central
Bring additional housing to the area with minimum 15% affordable housing and 15% diverse housing
Open up space currently inaccessible to the public
Provide approximately 1.4 hectares of publicly accessible open space comprising:
a Public Square fronting Wilson Street
an Eastern Park located adjacent to the Chief Mechanical Engineering Office building and the new eastern entry from Platform 1 of the Redfern Station, and
Traverser No1 - a public square edged by Carriageworks and the Paint Shop.
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View the project animation
See the Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct project overview video and the project update video
- We held a livestream event on Tuesday 9 August. Click here to view a recording of the livestream, and click here (PDF, 441.16 KB)to view the Q&As for the livestream event.
Next steps in the planning process
Following the Minister for Planning’s Determination of the Paint Shop Sub-Precinct Rezoning Proposal, the amendments to the planning controls will be included in the Sydney Local Environment Plan 2012.
Subsequent development applications will be assessed by the relevant planning authority using the new planning controls following their gazettal.
The renewal of Redfern North Eveleigh will occur over a long period and will involve more detailed planning and ongoing opportunities for community engagement.
What is happening at the Chief Mechanical Engineer’s building?
The Chief Mechanical Engineer's building (CME) is an iconic heritage structure that sits within the Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct.
Fronting Wilson Street, the CME building is a State-listed heritage asset located 200 metres from the new Southern Concourse entry of Redfern Station.
The NSW Government has identified the CME as an opportunity to restore and activate a vacant building within the Precinct - to deliver on the Strategic Vision and Tech Central objectives. To do so, the building required a State Significant Development Application.
The NSW Government proposed changes to refurbish the CME building to create more than 1,000 square metres of commercial space that will meet current Australian Standards and accessibility requirements.
The proposed changes to the Chief Mechanical Engineer’s building were placed on public exhibition between 25 January and 21 February 2023. The response to submissions for the Environmental Impact Statement, part of the State Significant Development Application, is available via the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE).
How to view the response to submissions
To review the plans and the response to submissions, please visit the NSW Planning Portal:
www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/505-wilson-street-redfern-cme-building
Determination
The NSW Department of Planning and Environment has assessed the proposal, and on Tuesday 12 December 2023, Determined the application.
The Conditions of Consent related to the building’s Development Application are available to view on the DPE major projects website:
www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/505-wilson-street-redfern-cme-building
The Determination and corresponding Conditions of Consent, provide assurance the proposed restoration will be sympathetic to the unique attributes and heritage of such an important landmark.
Next steps
Determination of the CME development application is a significant milestone and paves the way for the building’s adaptive reuse and enables design development to continue with confidence.
While a timeline for construction work to begin on the CME building is yet to be determined, the community and other key stakeholders will be kept up to date throughout the process.
What is happening with the Clothing Store?
The Clothing Store Sub-Precinct is located adjacent to Carriageworks at the northern end of the Precinct and is approximately 3.2 hectares. The Sub-Precinct is zoned Mixed Use with a concept plan approved in 2008. The Clothing Store Sub-Precinct will have a residential character that is integrated with community uses to create a vibrant inner-city place designed for living.
The NSW Government is progressing delivery of the Clothing Store Sub-Precinct as part of the broader Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct Renewal.
Renewal in the Sub-Precinct will be consistent with the existing planning controls for this area.
Plans include:
- renewal of the Clothing Store building and possible community uses and facilities
- delivery of over 3,000 sqm of new and improved public open spaces, including parks
- approximately 500-600 new apartments for diverse 'Build to Rent housing across buildings between 4 and 12 storeys in height.
The NSW Government has commenced market engagement to secure a development partner to redevelop the Clothing Store Sub-Precinct site.
The community will be kept updated and will have further opportunities to have their say prior to any development on the site.
More information
Email projects@transport.nsw.gov.au to register your details and stay updated.
Call 1800 684 490 if you would like to speak to the project team.