sydney-city-centre-review-of-environmental-factors

The order in which the works would take place, termed the ‘construction staging’, has
not yet been determined. This would depend on construction contractor
requirements, road occupancy licence requirements (refer to section 4.3.2), and
other external factors. Subject to determination of this REF and approval of this
proposal, construction is anticipated to start in the first half of 2015 and it would take
up to one year to complete the work due to the complexities of programming the
works to avoid significant impacts on the city’s traffic and transport.
1.1.2 Regional and local context
Sydney is Australia’s oldest city. Modern day Sydney reflects its heritage legacy,
comprising many local and State heritage-listed buildings. However in the majority,
the city centre comprises a high-density urban environment set out along a grid of
north-south, west-east roads fronted by mid-to-high rise development interspersed by
several parks and open spaces. In the south, the grid pattern is slightly uneven;
however in the north, the streets form a grid alignment orientated towards Circular
Quay.
The city centre runs along two ridge lines below Macquarie Street and York Street.
Between these ridges is Pitt Street. Pitt Street is the topographical low point between
west and east. Equally, there is a high point mid-city around the Queen Victoria
Building (QVB). To the north the land falls towards Sydney Harbour. To the south the
land falls away towards Haymarket.
A number of local districts were formed as the city centre developed, each with a
specific function. These provide specific reference points in the city, comprising
unique streetscapes, townscapes and urban themes; from the open recreational
areas of Hyde Park, to the financial and commerce buildings along and surrounding
Martin Place, to the tightly packed low-rise historic buildings in the Rocks, and the
Victorian buildings in the mid-town retail area. Those districts that interface with
the proposal have been broadly represented through the five precincts considered in
this document.
The proposal is located within the City of Sydney local government area (LGA). The
road infrastructure in this area is managed by Roads and Maritime (Sydney Region)
and City of Sydney Council.
1.2 Purpose of the report
Parsons Brinckerhoff has prepared this Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for
Roads and Maritime (Sydney Region) on behalf of Transport for NSW.
The REF describes the proposal (refer to Chapter 3), documents its likely
environmental impacts (refer to Chapter 6), and details the protective measures that
would be implemented to safeguard against any adverse effects (refer to Chapter 7).
It has been prepared to meet the environmental assessment requirements of Part 5
of the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) (refer to
section 4.1.1).
The description of the proposed work and associated environmental impacts have
been undertaken in the context of clause 228 of the Environmental Planning and
Assessment Regulation 2000, the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC
Act), the Fisheries Management Act 1994 (FM Act), and the Australian Government’s
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
Sydney City Centre Capacity Improvement 5
Review of Environmental Factors