DRAG has significant objections to this proposal with its intention of obliging residents to accept a major increase in building bulk and overshadowing and major damage to the integrity of a Heritage Conservation Streetscape, Heritage Conservation area and individual items including a pubic park, together with increased traffic (and associated hazards).

This is a major over-development. SVH/MH has failed to adhere to the 2006 Masterplan and betrayed trust with the community.

We urge the Minister for Planning to reject this Part 3A Application and refer the application to the relevant authority.

The proposal does not comply with built environment design principles for Darlinghurst. It fails to reinforce and protect the local topography and setting. It does not enhance the streetscape and character of the locality, and it is incompatible with the Victorian scale and design of the neighbourhood. It fails to comply with the South Sydney Local Environment Plan 1998.

We summarise our concerns relating to: Excessive Height and bulk & conflict with Built Environment Design principles; Heritage Streetscape and demolition of Contributory Heritage Items; Cancer Clinic; Solar access; Traffic control measures - Special Condition of 2006 Consent ignored; Traffic, Carpark and Parking; Public safety risks in a designated school zone.

Garvan St Vincent's Campus proposed Cancer Centre, 362-392 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, 2009

We address our concerns:

1. Excessive built form, height and bulk
The Precinct site has dramatically increased in built form, height and bulk from that presented to residents in the 2006 Master Plan. The Cancer Clinic on Victoria Street is to be 11 storeys high (half as high again as the current Victor Chang Institute) and the Institute of Virology on West Street is to be 12 storeys high (2 storeys higher than the current Victor Chang Institute, and the Garvan Building on West Street).

It is proposed to increase the built mass (Buildings A, B and C) of the Precinct, by approximately 60%, from 21,572 to 34,345m2.

Such massing of form and the excessive bulk and height proposed will have a significantly detrimental environmental and aesthetic impact on this area of Darlinghurst particularly the Victoria Street and West Street frontages. In 2006 Master Plan drawings showed a much lower and less voluminous “building envelope”, with a stepping-back profile. (Ref: Site A Victor Chang Building; Traffic drawings; TTW for CGP Management Pty Ltd; Environmental Assessment provided to residents and lodged with the Department).

The 2006 Master Plan was “to establish relevant controls to ensure an acceptable built form in terms of bulk and scale and relationship to the precinct surroundings”.

In 2006 Residents were advised that:

• The height of the buildings had been deliberately varied, to avoid monotony and in recognition of the building relationships to adjoining buildings.

• Building A (Victor Chang) would adopt the height of the Garvan Institute, although it would be considerably less bulky. Building A and the Garvan Institute were to be the highest points of the Precinct.

• The envelope on the eastern side of the site abutting residential West Street, was to be stepped back and was to be lower than the existing Garvan Building.

The revised July 2009 Concept Plan shows: Institute of Virology Building at the height proposed within the new ‘envelope’ together with the existing Garvan Building will result in a vast “wall” at the top of the valley. Residents on the East (Barcom, Liverpool, West Streets etc) will live beside a canyon of buildings.
It fails to protect residents in the vicinity of the proposed development, in terms of privacy and access to sunlight.
The 2006 Master Plan heights must be adhered to.

2. Detrimental Impact on Victoria Street Heritage Streetscape Area and the Barcom Avenue Heritage Conservation Area (CA4) and Demolition of Heritage Item and Contributory Heritage Items
Victoria Street Darlinghurst from Craigend St to Oxford St is a Heritage Streetscape under the planning instrument. (HS12, South Sydney Local Environment Plan 1998.) The area has a high level of integrity.

Areas across Liverpool Street to the north and West street to the east are located within the Conservation Area (CA4) The controls for these areas are currently contained in the South Sydney LEP and Heritage DCP.

Development of the subject site will have significant impact on any of these items or significant views to and from these items. In addition one item will be demolished and the integrity of another adjoining item severely diminished.

Proposed demolition of No 372 Victoria Street Darlinghurst (‘Pomona’) a three storey Victorian Filigree style terrace house (Item No 1113.)
Impact: Demolition of ‘Pomona’. However, the façade has a high degree of integrity.

St Vincents Masterplan 2006 says: “The terrace house fronts Victoria Road and has a rear access from Chapman Lane. It is one of a pair of similar attached buildings where the street presentation of the adjoining terrace has been substantially modified in detail and is not listed but contributes to the heritage streetscape character.”
The 2009 proposal ignores the recommendation of the Masterplan 2006.
The proposal also adversely impacts on these listed individual items adjacent to or in the immediate vicinity of the subject site (see Heritage Conservation Map of the South Sydney LEP):

No 360 Victoria Street Darlinghurst - Green Park Hotel, formerly Victoria Park Hotel, two storey Federation hotel, c 1893. (Item No 1112)
Impact: Diminishes an adjoining Arts and Crafts Style Pub building with a high degree of significance for its ability to illustrate this style and period.
St Vincents Masterplan 2006 says: “New development in the immediate vicinity of the hotel should respect the established scale of the building in the streetscape. Taller buildings to the rear of the hotel are an acceptable outcome for the car park site.” The 2009 proposal ignores the recommendation of the Masterplan 2006.

No 440 Victoria Street Darlinghurst - St Vincent’s Hospital Group, including the Main Building, three storey Victorian Free Classical style building, 1867. (Item No 1114) Impact: overshadowing
Victoria Street Darlinghurst - Green Park Group, including bandstand pavilion, perimeter fence and site (with landscaping.) (Item No 1115)
Impact: overshadowing; diminishes value and practical recreational and theraputic use of Darlinghurst’s only park.

No 265 Victoria Street Darlinghurst - Single storey sandstone Colonial Georgian style cottage, c 183. (Item No 1110.)
Impact: opposite proposal therefore the building is Diminished and overshadowed. The cottage has a high degree of significance for its ability to illustrate this style and period.

No 271–273 Victoria Street Darlinghurst - Two storey Victorian terrace houses (Item No 1111.)
Impact: these are 2 of row of 5 terrace houses at 269-277 Victoria Street opposite the proposal. They have a high degree of integrity. There is evidence they once had cantilevered first floor verandahs with convex awning roofs.
Impact: overshadowing; diminishing of sightlines of streetscape.

Unlisted Buildings in the vicinity noted in the 2006 SVH/MH Masterplan as contributory to the heritage streetscape and CA:
Other buildings in the Hospital Master Plan site area also have potential to contribute to the heritage streetscape character of Victoria Street in this locality. Retention of the front portion of the two terraces is the minimum acceptable response to the heritage listing. Restoration of the Victorian character of the adjoining houses would also substantially enhance the heritage streetscape.

We submit that the recommendations of The Proposed Master Plan 2006
A Master Plan for the redevelopment of the site has been (prepared by Byrnes and Associates and Site ‘A’ redevelopment plans designed by Daryl Jackson Robin Dyke Pty Limited) are adopted:

“The development of any future design for the Victoria Street frontage of the site will need to take into consideration the established low scale character of the street and the presence on the two heritage items as well as the presence of other buildings which may contribute to the identified heritage character of the street if sympathetically treated.”
The Proposal manifestly fails to adhere to these Guidelines nor does it comply with NSW Heritage Office Criteria,
We ask that the consent authority does not grant consent to the carrying out of development on the site of a heritage item, or within a heritage conservation area or heritage streetscape area.
The proposal fails to consider the heritage significance of the heritage conservation area or streetscape within the heritage streetscape area and the impact of the proposed development on the significance of the heritage conservation area or streetscape.

3. Cancer Clinic

The Partners now propose that Stage C will be a Cancer Clinic. Why do the Partners propose to develop such a clinic when the Federal Government has already allocated $100m to a Cancer Clinic at Prince Alfred Hospital, and the University of New South Wales is developing the Lowy Cancer Research Centre? The eastern suburbs of Sydney are already well served by hospitals and clinics.
In times of scarce resources, world class facilities should be shared more equitably and thus one of these cancer clinics should be located either in regional New South Wales, for example in Wollongong or Newcastle, or in the geographical centre of Sydney.

4. Building lighting levels and loss of sunlight

The excessive height and bulk will result in an unacceptable level of overshadowing in respect of Green Park, the only park in the area. We ask that shadow controls be placed on Green Park as they are on Hyde Park.
The building will over-shadow the Heritage Group opposite (including a rare single-story Georgian cottage) and residential flat buildings on Darlinghurst Road (Kurrajong et al) on residential housing to the east of West Street.
We ask the Minister to reject the proposal on the ground that it does not enhance the public domain, and has not been designed so as to preserve predominant view lines and vistas enjoyed from parks, reserves, roadways, footpaths and other areas of the public domain. It fails to comply with the South Sydney LEP 1998.
Lighting pollution or “spill” from the eastern façade of the Victor Chang Institute is already a problem. The proposed buildings will increase this problem.

5. Traffic control measures — Special Condition of 2006 Consent ignored

Historically, the entrance was from Liverpool Street. In 2006 residents submitted that the status quo be maintained. No response was ever received to resident submissions. Despite more than 30 resident objections the entrance to the site was changed to West Street.
Planning Minister Frank Sartor acknowledged that residents had genuine concerns regarding a likely increase in traffic flow along residential Barcom and West Avenues by vehicles entering the Precinct. These related principally to the narrow width of both Barcom Avenue and West Avenue. West Avenue is of particular concern because, due to the narrowness of footpaths (0.75 m). Any increase in traffic numbers would have a direct bearing on an increase in the risk of traffic accidents.
In granting consent for Stage A of the Precinct on 7 April 2006, Minister Sartor therefore made his consent subject to a Special Condition, which stated:
“This determination does not include approval for ingress of vehicular traffic off West Street, which is subject to Condition B3 of this consent. The Proponent shall develop satisfactory traffic management measures with the objective being to prevent vehicular access to the site from West Avenue. The Proponent is to develop such measures in consultation with Council and shall seek the Director- General’s approval for such measures, prior to the issue of a Construction Certificate for above ground works.”
A “traffic control device” was installed at the junction of West Avenue and West Street, its purpose being to deflect and direct traffic away from, and prevent entrance to, the Precinct, were vehicles to come up West Avenue from Barcom Avenue. The designers’ intention was that traffic could only enter the Precinct via Burton and West Streets.
However, the Director-General accepted the measures, prior to receiving any comment from residents, and issued a construction certificate for Stage A on 1 September 2006.
Stage A of the Precinct opened in September 2008. Since that time, numerous vehicles are regularly using the Barcom Avenue/West Avenues route to access the Precinct Site. The Special Condition has not been met in relation to Stage A.
We ask that consent to the Concept Plan for Stages B and C not be given until the issue of the Stage A (Victor Chang Building) Special Condition has been met.
The 2006 Master Plan numbers should be adhered to, and that there must be no additional traffic movements from West Street, Barcom Avenue and West Avenue to the Precinct. The Concept Plan must be revised so that any additional access to the Precinct is via Liverpool Street and/or Victoria Street.

6. Traffic, Carpark and Parking

Residents were concerned that a carpark to hold an additional 500 cars is proposed and this would result in increased traffic usage in Barcom and West Avenues.
The plan shows that after completion of Site C there would be provision for no more than 289 vehicles. The new Concept Plan refers to parking for 500 cars. This is a remarkable increase of 73%.
Residents have already noted the increased use of Barcom and West Avenues. They know that additional delivery vans and cars will use West Street, Barcom Avenue and West Avenue to gain access to the Precinct.The carpark for the Precinct is to be significantly enlarged from that originally proposed in the 2006 whole-of-proposed Precinct Master Plan (from 289 to 500 vehicles).

The 2006 Master Plan numbers should be adhered to and that there must be no additional traffic movements from West Street, Barcom Avenue and West Avenue to the Precinct.
The Concept Plan needs to be revised so that any additional vehicle access to the Precinct is via Liverpool Street and/or Victoria Street.

As we have not seen the plans of the UNSW Virology Institute, we do not know where the car exists from the underground carpark will be in West Street. This makes it difficult to make a comprehensive response re traffic flows.

7. Risks of delivery vehicle traffic in West Street (a designated School Zone for Darlinghurst Public School)

The Concept Plan proposes that West Street be used to provide access to a common loading dock shared by the Precinct. In 2006, residents and Sydney Council proposed that all vehicles should enter and leave the Precinct in a forward direction (as historically occurred on the site). This has not eventuated.
Since the opening of the Victor Chang Building, an issue of safety in respect of the loading dock has become apparent. The only access point to the loading dock is via West Street and a ramp up to a concrete apron area, where loading/unloading of delivery vehicles takes place. Because of the inadequacy of the turning area on the apron, large vehicles are unable to turn around within the Precinct to exit in a forward direction.
The truck drivers are forced into one of two alternatives, each of which is inherently unsafe: to drive in cabin first and, on leaving, to reverse into West Street, or to reverse up the ramp and into the loading dock.
The Darlinghurst Public School is at 350 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst. It is a two storey Victorian Romanesque style main building and single storey play centre, c 1883, two storey Inter-War buildings, c. 1923, sandstone pillars, stairs and site (with landscaping).
Darlinghurst Public School lies to the north east of the site diagonally opposite the area proposed to be developed along the Liverpool Street Frontage.
It is only a matter of time until a serious accident or perhaps, fatality occurs. It is the opinion of residents that the current unsafe outcomes are the responsibility of the approving authority.

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