Dilapidated sections of a large site in Green Square will be cleaned and refurbished in the first stage of an $8 billion project to transform the area into a thriving retail and employment centre.

 

Councillors at the City of Sydney's Committee meeting endorsed the selection of the successful tenderer to undertake the remediation work works on the former South Sydney Hospital site on Joynton Avenue, Zetland. The full Council will make a final decison next Monday night.

The works will be carried out by a team of specialists and include the removal of asbestos, lead based paint and light fittings containing harmful chemicals. The remediation process will see the safe removal and disposal of hazardous materials, preparing the site for its new life as Sydney's newest village.

The remediation will enable the adaptive reuse of four heritage buildings on the site into a new community hall, theatrette, multi-purpose spaces and meeting rooms, community shed, artists' studios and workshops.

A library and community centre will also be built at another location on the 14 hectare Green Square Town Centre site, the first stage of the 278 hectare Green Square development. There will be no loss in community services.

The library is located, in the interim, on the ground floor of the Tote building in Joynton Avenue, Zetland.

The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore said the Green Square development -the largest urban renewal projects in Australia - will deliver thousands of new homes and jobs, affordable housing units, new community facilities and leading environmental technologies.

"After many years of delay, the redevelopment of Green Square is finally about to begin," Ms Moore said.

Strict containment and decontamination procedures will be in place throughout the remediation program, with all the work overseen by WorkCover, the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OHE), and the City. Asbestos waste will be double bagged in specialised containers and transported in leak-proof vehicles to a facility licensed by the OEH.

Council will also consider appointing a separate company to undertake 24 hour air monitoring to ensure the safety of the site at all times.

Ms Moore said Green Square would be transformed, not only by new residences and commercial office spaces, but also through the provision of community facilities and green infrastructure.

"This project marks the first steps towards the realisation of the vision for the renewal of Green Square delivering 20,000 new homes, 22,000 jobs and 30,000 new residents.

 

The City expects remediation to begin by the end of the year.

The City is also undertaking feasibility studies on locating green infrastructure at the former hospital site. These include:

  • Wastewater treatment for the irrigation of parks and toilet flushing:
  • An automated waste collection system: and
  • A trigeneration energy system to produce low carbon electricity, heating and cooling for surrounding buildings in Green Square.

The City is currently in negotiations with developers on plans for the Green Square Town Centre.



The City is also working with the NSW government to improve public transport in the area, with the Lord Mayor calling for planning to commence on light rail to Green Square, with more frequent bus services in the short-term connecting to the Green Square and Mascot railway stations.