Green Square

Major redevelopment site

The $8 billion Green Square project is transforming the southern precinct of our local government area into a vibrant and sustainable urban environment. From its industrial past, Green Square is emerging as a place of innovative housing design, bespoke business and retail, and creative and engaged communities, proud of their area’s past and future.

Green Square is set to become a true exemplar of green living with developments linked to low carbon energy systems and recycled water, and people linked to shops, parks, gardens and entertainment with bike and walking routes and public transport.

The Green Square redevelopment area is 278 hectares and includes the suburbs of Beaconsfield and Zetland, and parts of Rosebery, Alexandria and Waterloo. It is just 3.5 kilometres from the city centre and 4 kilometres from the airport.

The City’s role in Green Square is to ensure planning controls allow for growth and development that is sustainable, innovative and respects the character of existing neighbourhoods. Our role is to also ensure the growing Green Square population has access to quality community facilities, parks, and transport links.

About 5,700 new homes have been built since 2000, bringing in close to 11,000 more residents. By 2030, Green Square is expected to attract 40,000 new residents and 22,000 new workers.

Green Square town centre will be the heart of the project. The new retail, cultural and commercial hub will centre around the Green Square train station.

A 10-year plan has been set out including infrastructure, a health and recreation centre and other community venues.

The Town Centre

Green Square Town Centre will be a new commercial, retail and cultural hub for the Green Square area. It will be a vibrant and active place where people will live, work, shop, dine out, and enjoy a range of cultural activities. When the Town Centre is complete, it will have the potential to accommodate approximately 6,800 residents and 8,600 workers.

A large part of the Town Centre is being delivered by Landcom and the Green Square Consortium, a joint venture between Mirvac Projects and Leighton Properties.

Green Square Library and Plaza

Over 160 architects from around the world entered a design competition in 2012 to create a new library and plaza for Green Square. The results were stunning – reflecting a range of visions for the new town centre, and a new way of seeing libraries as ‘urban living rooms’.

Our expert jury chose 5 finalists and the winning design has been announced.

The City has set aside $40 million for the 3000-square metre library and 4200-square metre plaza. Together, they will provide a flexible range of spaces to fit books, performances, meetings, technology and events.

Green infrastructure

The Green Square Town Centre will be one of the local area's first low-carbon zones. New developments will be powered by green energy systems called trigeneration. Trigeneration uses natural gas and produces electricity, heating and cooling for surrounding buildings. It is more than twice as energy efficient as coal-fired electricity and reduces greenhouse emissions by up to 60 per cent, which will help meet Sustainable Sydney 2030 goals.

Other green infrastructure features include recycling water for non-drinking purposes, LED street lighting and solar power.

Transport

The City has no authority over bus, light rail or rail planning, but we continue to support the State Government in delivering quality public transport to Green Square. A major part of this work is the creation of the Eastern Transit Corridor, a reliable and efficient public transport service for residents and businesses in the Green Square Train Station catchment area. The City continues to advocate for a light rail connection between the city centre and Green Square – we believe light rail is a more sustainable option and will reduce traffic in the area.

Culture and creativity

Historic buildings on the former South Sydney Hospital site will be restored to become community facilities. The Esme Cahill Building is more than 950 square metres and is to house a community hall, arts workshop and meeting room. The old outpatients building is a 700 square metre single level space which could become artist studios, exhibition galleries, rehearsal spaces and a theatrette.

Health and recreation

A new health and recreation centre will be built in the Epsom Park precinct, on Joynton Avenue. The multi-purpose venue will include an aquatic centre.

Parks and open spaces

A new 6,500 square metre park will be built in the town centre, named the ‘Drying Green’. A larger park of 15,500 square metres will be in the Epsom Park precinct in Zetland.

A smaller park will be created on the former South Sydney Hospital site, with other parks to be built near McPherson Lane, Joynton Avenue and O’Dea Avenue.

Community development

Framing the growth of the built environment during the urban development process, Green Square incorporates a mix of emerging and established communities. There are community groups representing an array of interests including Friends of Victoria Park, Green Square growers, Rosebery Action Group, Friendship Bridge and the Green Square Choir.

For more information on community programs, partnerships and events, or to share your ideas for this rapidly developing community, contact Cara Levinson, community development coordinator, via clevinson@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au or call 9265 9252.

Planning for growth

A major part of the City’s role in Green Square has been to ensure planning controls allow for appropriate growth and development. Our planning controls seek to provide housing and workplace for a growing population, while ensuring development is sustainable, innovative, and respectful of existing neighbourhoods.

The current planning control for the entire Green Square site is the Sydney Local Environment Plan 2012. However many of the sites and projects within Green Square have required their own detailed planning controls:

You can also view the development applications for Green Square.