Iron Cove Link

The Iron Cove Link is part of the third stage of WestConnex, connecting the Iron Cove bridge with Anzac Bridge, the M4 motorway at Haberfield, and the M5 motorway in St Peters. The toll-free Iron Cove Link is set to open at the end of 2023 with commuters bypassing Victoria Road in Rozelle, providing an opportunity to transform one of the busiest road corridors in Sydney.

Find out more about the Iron Cove Link

Rozelle Parklands

The Rozelle Parklands will provide up to 10-hectares of open space on the site of old Rozelle Rail Yards. The parkland runs alongside what is now the City West Link, near the corner of The Crescent, where three giant exhaust stacks are already under construction. The parkland is slated to become one of the largest green spaces in inner Sydney and is intended to compensate locals for enduring years of construction impacts as the massive motorway junction is built.

Inner West Council has been calling for State Government to maintain their funding commitment and is fighting for the long-awaited sporting facilities.

Find out more about Rozelle Parklands

Bays West Precinct

Bays West is situated to the east of Rozelle, at the end of Victoria Road. The precinct will be a high-density mixed-use precinct and include a new Metro Station by 2030. The urban regeneration of the precinct is underway with the Stage 1 Rezoning Proposal finalised on 9 December 2022 following public exhibition from 12 August to 8 September 2022. Stage one will include the redevelopment of the White Bay Power Station, public open space adjacent to the foreshore and a range of new community facilities.

Find out more about Bays West

The Balmain Leagues Club

The site of the former Balmain Leagues Club has been derelict for years, creating significant negative impacts on Victoria Road, Rozelle. Plans to redevelop the site were approved in 2020, and Council would like to see this proceed to avert the impacts. Council opposed a 2018 proposal by the NSW Government to temporarily use the site as part of construction of the Western Harbour Tunnel, and was relieved when this was subsequently rescinded in 2022. Council continues to raise concerns about fire risk and other negative impacts.

Find out more about Balmain Leagues Club

The new Iron Cove link will mean that vehicles will be able to bypass the Rozelle section of Victoria Road. The reduced traffic volumes will provide opportunities for Victoria Road to evolve into an attractive place with increased vitality, renewed economic opportunities and more pedestrian activity. Victoria Road will no longer need six lanes of traffic, which is why we are undertaking this master planning process.

Council aims to capitalise on the opening of WestConnex by immediately reclaiming Victoria Road to prioritise space for people. Road space must be rebalanced, with active and public transport given greater priority at intersections, more crossing opportunities created for pedestrians and urban design upgrades applied to footpaths, lighting, seating and vegetation.

A public domain master plan is a 10-year document that guides future planning of our public and shared spaces. This includes footpaths, cycleways, street trees and vegetation, public art, street furniture, pedestrian lighting and paving materials. Master plans aim to improve access and amenity and to create a shared vision for our public places.

Master plans are developed in collaboration with community members and stakeholders. It is used by Council, private developers, businesses and our communities for the following:

• Design direction and standards information for Planning Proposal and Development Application processes
• Voluntary Planning Agreement negotiations
• Support prioritisation and allocation of budget in Council’s Capital Works Program
• Support grant funding opportunities
• Help to develop a common vision for our public domain improvements.

The public domain master plan for Rozelle will be a strategic document, providing direction for Councils public domain works over the next 10 years. The plan will be used to advocate for the community’s and Inner West Council’s priorities on how Victoria Road should be improved by the NSW Government. The plan will also propose changes to Darling Street and neighbouring spaces that will be delivered through Council’s capital works program.

The Iron Cove Link will open at end of 2023, at which time the NSW Government will have progressed plans to improve Victoria Road, as required by a condition of approval for WestConnex. The master plan will show the NSW Government what Council and local community want to see happen.

Inner West council has also identified funding through its Main Streets Strategy to deliver some ‘quick wins’ by early 2024.

Council’s capital works team will stage and deliver other key projects identified in the master plan in the following years.

The master plan will focus its attention on streetscapes, car parks and council owned public spaces. Some findings will inform other local strategies that relate to public spaces, such as tree planting, the cycling strategy, and others. The public domain master plan will not affect any of the existing local planning laws, including land use zoning, Floor Space Ratios (FSRs) or heights of buildings.