FAQs
General
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (also known as the Public Works Committee or PWC) is the overarching approval authority for the Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment. In addition to the PWC, other assessment and approvals occur: the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) will assess the project in the referral process under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act); the independent EPA accredited Site Auditor will review and determine if the Remediation Action Plan is acceptable; Randwick City Council will review the Traffic and Parking Assessment and community feedback to determine traffic management measures for residential amenity and safety; and, other independent civil and building certifiers will review civil, design and construction works.
The residences would provide housing for Defence personnel and their families.
The Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment involves the remediation and development of the Bundock Street site area which extends from Canberra Street to Hendy Avenue and Gumara Street, providing 62 houses for Defence families. The Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment planning and design is guided by Randwick City Council’s Development Control Plan for Defence Site Bundock and Avoca Streets Kingsford, 2003.
Randwick Barracks primarily accommodates Army units and other Defence organisations. It also provides administrative support and services to units of the Australian Defence Force. Although there is existing transit accommodation within the Barracks, there is high demand for affordable housing within the Sydney catchment and as such the Department of Defence is seeking to remediate and redevelop part of the Randwick Barracks site to provide further housing for Defence personnel.
In 2022, Defence commenced community engagement activities as part of its early investigations and planning for the Sydney LIA project, proposing to construct 991 single-bedroom accommodation units at Randwick Barracks. Following the outcomes of the Government’s Defence Strategic Review (DSR) in April 2023, the Sydney LIA project, will not proceed at this time.
Timeframes
Following a referral to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the Public Works Committee hearing and outcome, if the plan is approved, the project could commence work onsite in late 2024 to 2025, starting with remediation.
This timing is subject to the environmental referral and Public Works Committee approval timeframes.
Indicative Timeline
The project team has progressed site investigations and plans for the Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment. We are sharing details with the community, and we are keen to gather feedback before we submit our proposal to the Public Works Committee (PWC) for consideration in early to mid 2024.
Prior to submitting to the PWC and to reinforce Defence’s commitment to managing environmental impacts at the Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment, the project will also be voluntarily referred to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). This referral will occur in late 2023.
Pending EPBC referral timeframes and PWC approval, work could start onsite for the Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment in late 2024 to 2025.
Community Engagement
Community engagement on the project commenced in August 2022. The community can view the proposed plans on the project website, read our newsletters and attend community information sessions.
You can ask questions or provide feedback via 1800 281 280 or bundockhousingredevelopment@wsp.com
The project will be referred to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Under this process DCCEEW invites public comments, click here for information on the process. Once we finalise the proposal and submit to the Public Works Committee, the PWC use public comments and public hearings as part of its determination process. Click here for information on the PWC process.
The project website will continue to share reports relating to the redevelopment proposal. The community information sessions aim to summarise and provide key outcomes and information from these reports which are highly detailed and can be lengthy. In addition, all reports relevant to the Referral under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) will be available as part of Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW)'s public comments process.
At the community information sessions, Defence has provided detailed information to the community on the project purpose, housing, floor and site plans for medium density development, contamination investigation results, proposed remediation approach to keep the community safe, traffic impacts, ecological impacts, the approvals process and community response opportunities, project timeframes and the community engagement process.
For more information see our Consultation page here.
Throughout 2022 and early 2023 community engagement activities on the housing and accommodation projects at the Randwick Barracks covered both the Sydney Live-in Accommodation and Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment Projects.
From mid-2023, community engagement activities on proposed housing at the Randwick Barracks will focus solely on the Bundock Street Project. Community engagement activities for the Bundock Street Project include newsletters, information sessions, doorknocks, community and stakeholder meetings, the project website, project email and 1800 number.
Contamination
The contamination identified on the proposed Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment site is typical or similar to other sites with a historical commercial/industrial land use within the Sydney area. There are proven remediation methods and technologies to remove, reduce and manage the identified contamination which is protective of site users, local residents and other receptors. Defence intends to safely remediate contamination on the site to make it safe for residential use.
The site will only be used for residential housing if an independent Site Auditor accredited by NSW EPA confirms the site as being of a suitable standard for residential use.
The contamination on site does not pose a risk to Defence personnel on site in its current use or to the surrounding neighbourhood in its existing state. Any remediation work must ensure that it can meet the necessary human health and ecological guidelines to minimise and avoid risks to the people and the environment both during remediation and subsequent use of the site.
Given the history of the Randwick Barracks site, detailed site investigations have been undertaken. Asbestos contamination in the shallow soil across the Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment site has been identified. This has arisen from on-site demolition waste.
Small amounts of heavy metals, fluorinated chemicals and hydrocarbons have been detected, however, these are not at a level that presents risk to human health.
Independent investigations have confirmed that there are no unexploded ordnances on the site.
Remediation work is required to ensure that the land is safe for the proposed residential land use.
Any traces of PFAS found on the Bundock Street site have been determined to be travelling to the site from an upgradient groundwater source not related to Defence.
There are a number of environmental investigation reports available on our website. Many of these reports include investigation information on both the Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment Project and the now deferred proposed Sydney Live-in Accommodation Project.
The Contamination Investigation and Remediation Factsheet helps explain the contamination environmental investigation, reporting and Site Auditor process. Each step in the investigation process builds on earlier information, noting that there is thousands of pages of raw sampling data and laboratory analysis that sits behind each investigative step.
Contamination investigations and assessment as well as proposed remediation consideration is a work in progress. Defence will inform the community once the Remediation Action Plan (RAP) for the Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment project is finalised and available to the community.
The Bundock Street site has not been used for storage since the last sampling and there has been no movement of earth or installation of fixtures. This means that condition of soil taken for testing in 2021 would be the similar to soil conditions if repeat sampling occurred in 2023.
Once the environmental investigation and the independent EPA accredited Site Auditor process is complete, a Remediation Action Plan (RAP) for the site will be further developed and finalised.
Defence will share the RAP with the community once it is finalised and approved.
Any remediation work that is required to be undertaken needs to ensure a safe environment for the community and the workers on site. We will update the community once the remediation approach is confirmed. If the project is approved, a Construction Environment Management Plan (CEMP) would be prepared which usually includes the following requirements for remediation work:
- Any asbestos works would need to be supervised by a SafeWork NSW licenced asbestos contractor in accordance with specific and strict regulations. This would include the implementation of appropriate measures during remediation works (e.g. exclusion zones, decontamination, truck lining etc)
- Any contaminated soil disposed off-site would need to be appropriately classified and received by a suitably licenced waste facility
- Airborne asbestos fibre monitoring will need to be undertaken prior to the commencement of (to provide background levels) and during any works that may disturb asbestos
- Dust suppression will need to be a key environmental consideration during remediation works (control dust / control airborne asbestos)
- Require appropriate permits, licences and include independent assessments
- Require a community relations plan with 24-hour phone contact to ensure any issues are identified and managed as efficiently as possible
- Remediation and validation works to continue to be overseen by the independent NSW EPA accredited Site Auditor
Former Defence land adjacent to the Randwick Barracks site has undergone remediation which complied with thorough and rigorous environmental investigations and audit processes. The Contamination Investigation and Remediation Factsheet outlines this process.
If the project is approved by the Public Works Committee, a detailed Construction Environment Management Plan (CEMP) will need to be developed and approved in accordance with the Remediation Action Plan prior to any remediation works and construction taking place. The CEMP will outline management and mitigation measures during work and how any air monitoring and air quality information will be shared with the community and regulatory authorities. A remediation specialist will be on site during remediation work to ensure relevant mitigation and management measures are being implemented adequately.
Traffic
The Traffic and Parking Impact Assessment, October 2023 for the Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment Project indicates that there would be no adverse traffic impacts in the future on existing local streets after the works have been completed.
Yes, the Traffic and Parking Impact Assessment, October 2023 for the Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment Project is available on the project website.
Since August 2022, the Defence project team has shared information and consulted with the community as it progresses its planning for the proposed Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment Project. In relation to traffic, we held a community information pop-up session on 21 September 2023 where we shared information and responded to questions from the community regarding the assessment on potential traffic and parking impacts related to the proposed project.
Information boards displayed, a traffic fact sheet and a summary of community feedback from the community pop up are available to view here.
The Traffic and Parking Impact Assessment report for the proposed Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment is also available to view on our project website here.
DHA engaged traffic specialists McLaren to undertake an assessment of the likely traffic impacts of the proposed development. The Traffic and Parking Impact Assessment report for the proposed Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment concludes that: “there will be no adverse traffic impact on the existing road network as a result of the proposed development”.
Modelling of future traffic movements indicates that there will be one additional car per minute during peak times resulting in an increase in travel times of less than half a second for drivers travelling along Bundock Street past the site.
Modelling also found that should the project be approved, there would be no detrimental impact to the performance of nearby intersections. For example, a driver turning right from either Canberra Street or Hendy Avenue will experience an increase of less than 1-second to their travel time, during the peak AM and PM hour.
Traffic modelling is used to best predict the likely impacts of existing and future traffic volumes at intersections.
Undertaken by traffic specialists McLaren, assessment of traffic and parking impacts at the Bundock Street site has drawn upon Transport for NSW adopted traffic generation rates, Randwick City Council’s Development Control Plan (DCP) and SIDRA Intersection traffic modelling software widely used across Australia.
Detailed assessment of delays experienced by all turn movements at intersections, at peak times, is a good way to assess and understand traffic impacts. The intersections which would be used most by residents of the proposed development were predicted and assessed.
Traffic was counted at several locations on Bundock Street from Canberra Street through to Hendy Avenue to measure current flows and peak hour flows. Traffic counting activities took place in February 2022 and September 2023.
The proposed Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment continues to proceed through planning and design processes. As part of any development proposal, investigations need to take into consideration future developments in the area.
The Traffic and Parking Impact Assessment for the Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment has considered future approved developments in the area and made allowance for additional traffic flows, which is required for all traffic impact assessments.
Any future development proposals at Randwick Barracks or in the nearby area will need to identify, assess and consider traffic impacts and connection points.
Proposed parking for the development meets the relevant planning controls, including Randwick City Council’s Development Control Plan requirements.
The proposal provides 124 car parking spaces, with each dwelling including two car parking spaces. Visitor parking is provided by eight additional visitor spots on the laneway and kerbside street parking along Gumara Street and Oval Avenue.
Other parking related matters were assessed such as accessible parking, bicycle and motorbike parking, servicing access (waste collection, emergency vehicles), cycleway and bus stops and driveway/garage design. On these matters, the proposal complies with Council and relevant guidelines and standards.
The report concludes that broader traffic management infrastructure is not required to support the Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment, however, it recommends consideration of pedestrian refuge facilities in order to provide safer pedestrian connectivity across Bundock Street. Randwick City Council will determine traffic management measures.
Access to and from this site will be primarily via the new proposed Oval Avenue intersection onto Bundock Street.
The installation of a signalised intersection (traffic lights) is not required as part of this development.
The proposed development is considered a moderately low impact development, and in accordance with the standard requirements of traffic impact assessments, operational analysis of the main access intersection and the first intersection on either side is undertaken. This is Oval Avenue, Hendy Avenue and Canberra Street intersections along Bundock Street.
The layout considers and is guided by Randwick City Council’s Development Control Plan (DCP) for Defence Site. Other considerations include existing Defence and services infrastructure, heritage items, topography and environment, traffic management civil works designs and Defence housing requirements.
The Ellen Street / Bundock Street intersection was considered to be the least impacted intersection near the development compared to the other intersections investigated.
In response to community feedback, traffic specialists McLaren undertook an additional traffic survey at the Ellen Street/ Bundock Street intersection. The outcomes of the survey and modelling of future flows should the development proceed shows almost no change in the traffic volumes. The Ellen Street / Bundock Street intersection will be maintained at an “A” Level of Service described as “good operation” under government guidelines on intersection servicing. The Traffic and Parking Impact Assessment report will be updated to include additional survey information and uploaded to the project website.
The proposed development is considered a moderately low impact development, and the assessment adheres to standard traffic impact assessment practise which is to focus the operational analysis on the first intersection on either side to the main access (Oval Avenue), so this is Hendy Avenue and Canberra Street. Traffic specialists McLaren anticipate that traffic flows from a development of this size would typically result in one additional vehicle every 3 minutes at the Avoca Street / Bundock Street intersection, which would not have a detrimental impact on the performance of the intersection.
The investigations undertaken in the Traffic and Parking Impact Assessment have indicated that the performance of nearby intersections will still operate at the same level of service as they currently do. This means there should be no detrimental impact to Gumara Street.
The traffic analysis was undertaken in 2022. The timing of the traffic count is considered acceptable by industry standards. The analysis and assessment in the August report is based on this data.
In response to community feedback additional traffic surveys were undertaken in September 2023. This involved a seven-day survey of two-way traffic movements along Bundock Street to capture any relevant daily variations in traffic.
The outcomes of the additional survey show almost no change in the traffic volumes compared to the analysis based on 2022 data. All intersections will maintain a Level of Service of “A” which means there will be no detrimental impact to the performance of intersections as a result of the generated traffic should the Bundock Street development be approved.
The report has been updated to include additional survey information and uploaded to the project website.
Modelling of the bike path has not been included in the traffic modelling. Randwick City Council has yet to finalise the design and delivery of the proposed bike path.
It is anticipated that the proposed bike path will allow for efficient and safe intersection queuing and crossing by pedestrians, bikes and vehicles.
Subject to detailed design and agreement with the collection authority, it is planned that the garbage collection will be via the new laneways at the rear of the proposed housing. This approach will avoid traffic flow delays by waste collection vehicles.
All construction related vehicles, including heavy vehicle movements will be considered in the Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP). The CTMP will assess the impacts of construction traffic and determine heavy vehicle routes.
Similar to any residential land use, the proposed development will not generate regular heavy vehicle traffic after construction.
In line with the Traffic and Parking Impact Assessment, street widening is not required and has not been proposed.
Impacts of headlights on properties at a T-junction are often reduced through road design and further managed by the planting of shrubs or trees within the verge or nature strip. During detailed design of any roadworks, these measures will be considered further and incorporated where appropriate.
Randwick City Council (RCC) determine traffic (including pedestrian) management measures for local roads. We will support and implement improvements related to the development where required for example, pedestrian refuges. We will work with RCC to ensure the proposed measures fit in with Council's desired approach Local Area Traffic Management within the area.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (also known as the Public Works Committee or PWC) is the approval authority for the Bundock Street, Housing Redevelopment Project. However, DHA have referred the Traffic and Parking Impact Assessment report to Randwick City Council (RCC) for comments and feedback. RCC is responsible for determining local traffic management and necessary works on existing Council managed roads. This step is to ensure that the appropriate traffic management strategy for Bundock Street will support the proposed development and benefit the broader Randwick community.
Pending Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water assessment and Public Works Committee approval, work could start onsite for the Bundock Street Housing Redevelopment in 2025, starting with remediation. Civil works,including street works, and housing construction would commence after remediation with housing completion by early 2028.
Community queries and feedback on the traffic and parking assessment has helped the project team better understand key community concerns and has led to further assessment which has been included in an updated report.
Randwick City Council (RCC) will review the updated report and community feedback to determine traffic management measures for residential amenity and safety.
We will consult with RCC’s team who will determine the appropriate traffic management strategy for Bundock Street to support the proposed development and benefit the broader Randwick community. We will comply with any RCC traffic requirements.
The project will be referred to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Under this process DCCEEW invites public comments, click here for information on the process. Once we finalise the proposal and submit to the Public Works Committee (PWC), the PWC use public comments and public hearings as part of its determination process. Click here for information on the PWC process.
Groundwater
A stormwater management plan will be prepared in accordance with the Managing Urban Stormwater: Soils and Construction guideline to manage surface water and sediment during construction stage. Management and mitigation of potential impacts to groundwater during construction will be outlined in Construction Environmental Management Plan.