2 The recently released Draft Master Plan for Sydney Olympic Park (SOPA) is a good initiative to move the Olympic precinct from its sporting focus into a well-rounded bustling urban precinct. Since the Master Plan was exhibited the NSW Government has announced that a new metro rail line will link Parramatta to Sydney CBD with a new station at Sydney Olympic Park. This future infrastructure will enable the centre to grow even more than outlined in the Draft Master Plan. The Urban Taskforce has reviewed the original government Master Plan in the light of the significant number of submissions from the private sector including those from lease holders of land in the precinct. Many of the submissions have been made by Urban Taskforce members. In reviewing the submissions it is clear that there are many private sector proposals that have taken the unusual step of developing their own design proposals for their sites. Another way to develop this important site would be to embrace the many private sector proposals to achieve a truly dynamic and vital town centre. A public private partnership approach will lead to a successful project. CONSTRAINTS IN SOPA’S MASTERPLAN While there is excellent work in the draft SOPA Master Plan it is very fixed in its layout and built form and applies principles and metrics that are different to those generally used in NSW. The 40 metre separation between buildings, for instance, is well above the 24 metres required in the Apartment Design Guide under NSW State Environmental Planning Policy 65. The manipulation of mixed uses in each building will be very difficult to achieve. Below ground car parking will add significant costs to developments. The residential floor plate’s maximum of 800 sqm is out of step with the market. The allocation of a large single park surrounded by roads will be isolated from the active edges of buildings. The Metro West proposal by the NSW government with a station at Sydney Olympic Park is not considered in the masterplan yet it is clearly a game changer for the precinct. The regulation of the heights of towers into a few typologies will constrain the development of a more varied skyline. GOVERNANCE AND LAND OWNERSHIP ISSUES There is clearly a governance and land ownership issue with SOPA being the landlord with those who want to develop the land having leases that currently have restricted uses that do not conform with the proposed master plan. This puts the tenants at a disadvantage in any negotiation to move to an exclusive right to develop their site through a Project Delivery Agreement to enable realistic development to proceed. Compounding this are the proposals in the master plan for developers to provide 5% of floor space for affordable housing and the likelihood of further infrastructure contributions to be required. If SOPA overplays the negotiation on contributions and trade-offs then developments will not be feasible and will not proceed. THE POTENTIAL TO ENHANCE THE MASTERPLAN The fact that so many tenants/land owners/developers have responded to the Master Plan with fully modelled built form proposals demonstrates that the private sector development industry believe that the draft SOPA Master Plan can be enhanced by making it more flexible. This is particularly so with the announcement that Sydney Olympic Park will be one of only few stations on the Metro West line proposed by the NSW Government. An enhanced draft master plan can accommodate the ideas from the private sector stakeholders involved in the precinct. A quick look at the excitement of the detailed proposals by these stakeholders demonstrates a more flexible approach to the masterplan that works with the stakeholders, leading to an improved outcome. Ultimately the precinct will need increased educational, arts and cultural activities to give it a well-rounded cosmopolitan character. We have outlined ten principles that could enhance the current draft plan for this important precinct. Sydney Olympic Park master plan needs private sector flexibility The Urban Taskforce is keen to have responses to the proposals illustrated in this issue of URBAN IDEAS and we welcome comments to admin@urbantaskforce.com.au Chris Johnson AM Chief Executive Officer Urban Taskforce Australia Credits Cover image featuring the Draft Masterplan by SOPA Useful Links Link to SOPA Master Plan http://www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au/ the_next_exciting_stage_for_Sydney_Olympic_ Park/master_plan_2030_review_2016 Link to Submissions on the SOPA Master Plan http://planspolicies.planning.nsw.gov. au/?action=list_submissions&job_ id=7871&title=Website%20Submissions&type=6 "A quick look at the excitement of the detailed proposals by these stakeholders demonstrates a more flexible approach to the masterplan that works with the stakeholders, leading to an improved outcome."