102069 Heritage and Planning

Parramatta's CBD is currently the second biggest in Sydney, and it is recognized as critical to the metropolitan area's growth.

Parramatta Municipality is examining the planning regulations for the Parramatta CBD and is considering expanding the city center boundaries to satisfy the council's expansion plans for extra homes and employment. The draft development controls were developed as part of a manage and implement evaluation process that took into account a variety of elements that influence growth in the CBD. The ‘Parramatta CBD Planning Strategy' was endorsed by the Parramatta City Council in April 2015, and it provides principles and activities to drive a new masterplan for the Parramatta CBD. The Strategy's process entails: (i) gearing up a policy Development Proposal for the conceptual platform under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979; (ii) enlarging the CBD boundaries, (iii) raising the floor space ratios (FSRs), and (iv) incorporating the Auto Alley Planning Framework into the new development plan (COMBER, & STENING, 2015).

One of the most important challenges in the implementation of the new planning rules is heritage. Parramatta boasts a plethora of intact European and Aboriginal Heritage buildings and locations as Australia's first sustainable colonial colony. As a result, a heritage study is necessary to consider the effects of the proposed additional regulations on Indigenous and European heritage assets, such as important sites, artefacts, and sites (Council, 2013).

The goal of this study is to assist Parramatta City Council's vision for the Parramatta CBD's expansion as Australia's future fantastic city by providing a clear and creative development framework that allows for expansion while maintaining the city's heritage.

The Heritage Study's goal is to react to the Planning Strategy by:

1. Suggesting adjustments or improvements to planning and development restrictions to mitigate heritage-related impacts on objects in the CBD and peripheral regions of the Planning Proposal, with an emphasis on FSR adjustments (Hundloe, & Burgin, 2021).
2. For the Study Area, we're looking into the advantages of a prospective transferable development rights program for historic floor space ratios (FSR).
3. Offering assistance on historical conservation area transition planning constraints.

The Study's goals are to make certain that:

1. Heritage issues are taken into account in locations chosen for higher density development, and any consequences can be mitigated and successfully dealt with through heritage regulations during the development assessment stage.
2. The planning proposal includes features that make it easier to preserve cultural sites.
3. It is established that there is a link between the suggested heritage controls and current heritage studies and conservation measures.

The project is a $2.4 billion high-rise transformation of Parramatta CBD and later developments in the surrounding areas.

• Location and Description of the Site

1. The current City Center (With the exception of the Park Edge Highly Sensitive Area close to Parramatta Park and Parramatta Park itself).
2. The north component of Church Street and the residential area beyond it to Sorrell Street.
3. The Auto Alley zone encompasses the area between Harris Park Station and Inkerman/Marsden Streets on the east side and Inkerman/Marsden Streets on the west side.

Historical Summary

Parramatta features a plethora of intact European and Aboriginal historic structures and locations as Australia's first sustainable colonial colony and the next municipality to be built out in New South Wales after Sydney. Parramatta is significant for its capacity to depict the history of colonial and post-colonial migration in Sydney and New South Wales in its physical forms, including historical layering, documentary, and archaeological data. Much of the indict and colonial era growth and diversification still exists in and around the research region, such as the World Heritage-listed Old Government House and Domain, surviving residences and early cottages. The old town layout can also be seen in the City Centre, with High Street (George Street) serving as the town's main thoroughfare and the large town park at the end of Quakers Row (Church Street). The rich archaeology of the place also contains lost components.

A significant number of surviving residential homes from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are clustered in the CBD's outlying suburbs, such as the Sorrell Street, North, and South Parramatta Conservation Areas. Via surviving important stores, bars, schools, civic and commercial buildings strewn across the CBD, which are recognized as locally designated historical assets on the 2007 and 2011 Parramatta LEPs. In the latter half of the twentieth century, Parramatta developed as a supplementary CBD for Sydney, which was reflected in a more recent overlay of commercial construction.

Parramatta is a dynamic cultural environment that is highly cherished by both locals and New South Wales citizens, and it functions as a powerful reminder of our common national heritage. As a result, it is critical that Parramatta's cultural heritage be taken into account during the planning proposal process, in an attempt to uphold the important values and appearance of heritage items, conservation areas, and the area as a whole, while allowing for urban enhancement and implementation of different growth (Ang, Arora, Chambers, Cmielewski, Cornell, Hilder, & Van Den Nouwelant, 2020).

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

The EPBC Act (Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act) is the most important piece of environmental law in Australia. It establishes a legislative framework for the protection and management of nationally and globally significant flora, wildlife, natural ecosystems, and historic sites. Furthermore, the EPBC Act gives it jurisdiction over acts that have a major environmental effect when they harm, or are conducted out on, World Heritage and National and Commonwealth designated locations, Commonwealth property, or are conducted out by a Commonwealth agency. As a result, it relates to some of the heritage sites found inside and around the research area (Thompson, & Maginn, 2012).

The Act contains measures for the preservation of World Heritage sites. Without the Minister's agreement, any proposed activity inside or beyond the borders of a World Heritage site that may have a major impact on its recognized heritage qualities is forbidden. As a result, the planning proposal must take into account the potential outcomes on the historic values of Old Government House and the Government Domain, as well as vistas to and from OGH and the domain across the CBD.

Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979

The EP&A Act mandates the development of planning documents to govern land use management at the state, regional, and municipal levels. The heritage regulations in different planning documents, as well as the obligations related with the review of development projects, are particularly relevant to heritage issues.

The goal of this approach is to protect artifacts, areas, artifacts, and locations of environmental and indigenous historic significance. The directive applies to all councils producing draft LEPs, which must include elements that make historical protection easier.

Heritage Act 1977

The Heritage Act's goal is to guarantee that NSW's cultural heritage is properly recognized and preserved. The Act is the most important piece of state legislation in NSW that protects environmental heritage. Following Section 60 of the Act, state important artifacts are placed on the NSW State Cultural Register (SHR) and are automatically protected from any activity that may harm or alter their heritage value (Young, 2016).

Parramatta Development Control Plan 2011

DCP 2011 sets precise rules and environmental regulations for future construction inside and outside the present Parramatta CBD in the Parramatta LGA. It contains heritage regulations that must be considered as part of any request for alteration within the study area or in any nearby cultural assets or historical conservation zones (Stevenson, Rowe, Ang, Magee, Cmielewski, & Hilder, 2020).

Church Street Precinct

Church Street (originally Quakers Row) was part of the original colonial town layout and has various cultural artefacts, notably between Macquarie Street and the Parramatta River, reflecting the early urban and commercial growth of this region. The pieces, in general, originate from the 19th century and early 20th century and exhibit a mix of artistic features that collectively create a coherent streetscape character characterized by 2-3 storey commercial architecture that adds significantly to the townscape (Rauscher, & Momtaz, 2017).

Recommendation: Under the LEP, height controls of up to 12m or 3 storeys with no misstep from the street should be implemented, with a least misstep of 18m from the main street on both the east and west sides of Church Street, between Centenary Square and the Parramatta River, to guarantee that any revitalization maintains the coherent 2-3 storey urban design identity.

North Parramatta Conservation Area

North Parramatta was established in the 1820s as an early government subdivision in Parramatta. It has a large number of modest residences and homes dating from the mid-nineteenth century to the early 1900s, with the 1880s is still the most active development phase. This neighborhood was popular with Parramatta business owners in the 19th and the 20th centuries, and it retains most of its domestic flavor from that time (Freestone, Davison, & Hu, 2019).

Recommendation: Towers in this region are expected to have an influence on the character of the region because to the top standard and steady collection of extremely low sized homes. As a result, it is suggested that the planning proposal area's boundary be aligned with the reserve area's boundary.

Comparative Analysis

Heritage sites primarily constitute the constructed form of all major historic CBDs in Australia; however, they have handled with this historic legacy in a variety of ways, some beneficial and some detrimental. While 1960s expansion in Sydney and Melbourne resulted in the needless demolition of many ancient structures, both capitals still have numerous buildings, whole streets, and subdivision patterns that reflect the development pattern from the beginning (Rauscher, & Momtaz, 2016).

Heritage is constantly regarded as a vital component in the character stakes of the future shape of the city in an age when entrepreneurial activities are quickly increasing. Links to the past do have an impact on a city's future course, and heritage, when handled with care, gives a city its identity.

Preserving and enhancing existing heritages

These restrictions are aimed at residential infill and renovations and additions, which sufficiently handle protected areas, but do not effectively handle the CBD setting or multistory commercial development. Because scale disparity is unavoidable, arrangements must be made to address how to effectively alleviate it, such as podiums and tower setbacks (Cooper, 2015).

When historical pieces are combined, the historic item's integrity as a historic item and as a distinct streetscape feature must be preserved. This entails keeping the curtilage, as well as setting and interpreting the basic subdivision.

Site consolidation and development

Extra heritage requirements might be inserted herein to manage the consolidation of cultural properties as described above for the CBD; however, it is preferred that heritage requirements be integrated into one part of the City's Development Control Plan.

This report has analyzed and assessed possible developments which can be initiated in Parramatta to ensure that CBD meets its aesthetic and productivity needs. Some of the activities assessed are the rate of development within the CBD, density, and possible renovations to be done.

References

Ang, I., Arora, V., Chambers, S., Cmielewski, C., Cornell, C., Hilder, C., ... & Van Den Nouwelant, R. (2020). Planning Cultural Infrastructure for the City of Parramatta: A Research Report.

Cooper, C. (2015). Best in urban renewal. Property Australia, 29(2).

Council, P. C. (2013). Parramatta 2038–community strategic plan. NSW, Parramatta.

Freestone, R., Davison, G., & Hu, R. (2019). Global Sydney: Economy, Planning and Environment. In Designing the Global City (pp. 47-80). Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.

Hundloe, T., & Burgin, S. (Eds.). (2021). Environmental Offsets. CSIRO PUBLISHING.

Rauscher, R. C., & Momtaz, S. (2016). Cities in Global Transition: Creating Sustainable Communities in Australia. Springer.

Rauscher, R. C., & Momtaz, S. (2017). Planning in Greater Sydney–Parramatta City Case Study. In Cities in Global Transition (pp. 179-198). Springer, Cham.

Stevenson, D., Rowe, D., Ang, I., Magee, L., Cmielewski, C., & Hilder, C. (2020). Planning Cultural Infrastructure for the City of Parramatta: Phase 2 Precinct Report.

Thompson, S., & Maginn, P. (2012). Planning Australia: An overview of urban and regional planning.

Young, G. (2016). Reshaping planning with culture. Routledge.

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