Bays Market District: Environmental Impact and Development Report

This report provides an analysis of the Bays Market District project in Sydney, focusing on its environmental impact, sustainable development goals, and urban planning strategies. The project, located near Blackwattle Bay, aims to mitigate the effects of urbanization on the ecology by incorporating elements such as fresh food markets, improved housing, and enhanced transportation. The report examines the project's objectives, including connecting Wentworth Park to the harbor, improving water quality, and integrating maritime activities while minimizing environmental effects. It also includes a SWOT analysis of the project, highlighting its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The project's development involves extensive consultation with stakeholders and the community, following a three-stage process from master plan drafting to implementation. The report also references the involvement of various experts and firms in the design and construction of the project.

Running Head: BAYS MARKET DISTRICT
BAYS MARKET DISTRICT
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Introduction
Industrialization, human development, and population increase have had a tremendous
impact on the environment (Berz, 1999).However, in line with the United Nations goals of
sustainable development, various countries have come up with strategies that basically try to
reduce this impact on the environment. We as humans depend on the natural environment and its
destruction is the beginning of the end. As a matter of fact, destruction of the environment is the
end of humanity.
Urbanization is on the rise. Increase in concrete jungles has gone beyond the main
objective which was to ensure that there is comfort in housing and travel (City of Sydney, 2014).
In this, there has been a significant impact on the ecological systems with humanity threatening
the existence of other living organisms (Abel, , 1976). Various animal and plant species are on
the brink of extinction due to the increase in urbanization (Chambers, , 1989) and as such,
Australia has come up with projects, through rigorous planning and design that are aimed at
trying to mitigate the effects of urban growth on the ecology.
There are eight bay projects all over Sydney and are expected to play a huge role in
sustainable development. Though the country’s growth is tremendous, it is still ranked among
the best 20 countries that are working towards sustainable development. In essence, considering
that Sydney is one of the country’s largest city and is also the capital of New South Wales, there
are 8 bay projects distributed all over with the main aim to reduce the impact of the increase in
human population on the ecology of the city (Elton Consulting, 2014). The design and
implementation of these projects are subject to the blueprint of living cities that forms the

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foundation of the interaction between the human population and the natural ecosystem (Bruce,
1999).
The main focus of this report is the bays market district. The project is close to a
waterfront and as such, its growth and development have various strings attached, both to
humanity and the biodiversity of the area. The area of land is situated in the south-east of
Blackwattle Bay and plays a pivotal role in the food productivity of the area. As such, the
project, upon its implementation, has been compared to the Boroughs markets and La Boqueria,
in London and Barcelona respectively (City of Sydney, 2014)
Bays Market District
Fig 1: bays market district

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The district is a major development area considering that it is located about 2 kilometers
from the central business district of Sydney(graph 5) .Furthermore, the area is a composition of
the waters that emerge from Blackwattle Bay and the strip of land from Plymouth. This makes
the place an ideal destination for all tourists and the locals, working class and the rest. It is,
therefore no surprise that the program focuses on ensuring that there is proper development of
the bay project. As a matter of fact, there are various objectives attached to the development of
the bays market district and include: the creation of an advanced bay that offers people fresh
food, becoming a major attraction site for dining and fresh foods, the bay will serve as both a
retail and wholesale center for fresh food, the provision of proper housing projects that meet the
standards of the area and the improvement in the transportation around the area. All this is
encompassed in the masterplan for the development which focuses on the following areas: the
land that is adjacent to Bank Street, present-day fish market, Blackwattle bay water and the strip
of land that is adjacent to Blackwattle Bay.
There has been various surveys that have tried to establish the suitability of the site for
the development and according to some residents, there is high rise development on the old fish
market site. Therefore, various parties have brought forth the desire for the project to incorporate
affordable housing in its manifesto. However, some have called for the housing projects to
encompass public housing while others calling for no public housing(graph 4). Other indications
of the housing problem are that some people want the project to encompass public affordable
housing while the minority would opt for private housing (City of Sydney, 2014).
On the aspect of ecological diversity, the bay project will serve various functions such as:
connecting Wentworth Park to the harbor, increasing the accessibility to Blackwattle Bay and

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improving accessibility to the various users, improve the quality of the water around the region
which is in line with the goals of sustainable development and finally to reduce the shade cast
over Wentworth park by various building structures. All these play a very crucial factor in
improving the biodiversity of the region. Furthermore, the project will serve the purpose of
integrating the various maritime uses and activities while minimizing the adverse effects that
may be cast on the environment.
On the aspect of improving the movement and accessibility of the strip of land and the
waterfront, the project is focused on: ensuring a healthy lifestyle to everyone by increasing the
space area that can be used for cycling and walking, increase the movement by connecting the
various transport structures around the area, reducing the traffic congestion that is experienced
around the region, an important aspect in biodiversity is increasing the permeability of the paved
area therefore providing a platform for growth of plants, increase in the parking area among
others. Finally, the project will provide the platform to ensure that there is the development of
proper canopy which will consequently mean an increase in the biodiversity.
The last objectives that form the basis for the project mainly involve the community,
socialization, and economics. In this, the project is established to ensure that there is an aura of
socialization around the district by providing areas that are suitable for gatherings. Therefore, the
district will be socially and culturally inclusive for all types of individuals.
Therefore, the plan for the development of the bays market district has considered
recreational facilities as well as the development of biodiversity around the area. All this is of
considerable importance because of the marine facilities around the region. Increase in housing
around the region was likely to have a negative impact on the waterfronts because of the increase

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in the discharge of wastewater (Blaikie,, Cannon, , & Wisner, 1994). However, the aspect of
pollution has been taken care of in the design stage.
The development and execution of such an intricate project are a very complicated that
requires the best in the various fields associated with the project. Some of the experts required in
such a project include engineers, economists, entrepreneurs, environmentalists, biologists among
others. However, because the framework for the implementation is mainly government oriented,
a government agency has to see the project through the conception stage to its implementation.
As per the market district bays project, the master plan for its development has been designed in
three stages that are mainly centered on extensive consultation with the various stakeholders and
the community.
The three-stage process basically begins with the drafting of the master plan and the
principles that are to guide the progress of the project. The completion of this stage will be
indicated by positive feedback from the various stakeholders. Secondly, there is the
determination of the various options available for the masterplan. All options have to be
considered in the initial plan for the project and basically, there is the selection of the most viable
one. This second stage is also complete when there is a positive feedback from the various
stakeholders. Finally, the community and the various stakeholders are exposed to the project
master plan providing the green light for the commencement of the project. Besides the general
community, the other parties that have been involved in the progress of the project include: 3XN
who have been mandated with the design of the fish market, FJMT designers whose purpose is to
develop design plans for the Masterplan, Mott McDonald engineering firm whose main purpose
is to provide the engineering consultation solutions required by the project but particularly to the

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fish market and finally Royal Haskoning DHV and Arcadis will provide the construction
services that the project requires. However, all these activities require the extensive consultation
between Sydney fish market and urban growth NSW.
The site`
Fig 2: description of the bays market district

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Fig 3; a general google map image
Fig 4: description of the connectivity of the bay

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Figure 5: Blackwattle bay
Fig 6: Sydney fish market

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One of the defining factors of the site is the location whereby it is located on a waterfront
while at the same time located just off the central business district of Sydney. This proximity to
the CBD is an important aspect that basically plays a huge role in the development of the project.
Currently, the district has an old fish market and as such, there is the proposed relocation for a
more efficient market system. The tract of land is part of the large government-owned land and is
basically about 90 hectares. In this, there are various sites, which alongside the fish market
include; Glebe Island, rosella rail yards, Glebe Island, and the Blackwattle Bay.
Prior to the development of the precinct, there were various activities such as maritime
trade, grain silos, timber mills, an import terminal for vehicles and the white power station which
did not make it past the year1983.As of recently, the precinct has had two terminals: a superyacht
marina and the other is a passenger terminal. As a matter of fact, the activities that surround the
bays are basically centered on the harbor and recreational activities. The three most dominant
bays are the rosella, white and the Blackwattle bays. Of the three bays, the white bay has
sufficient depth to become a cruise terminal. As per the Blackwattle and the rosella bays, there is
the limitation to the recreational capacity because of the ships and yachts available. Another
important consideration in the project is the Wentworth Park. Currently, the park has no specific
outline of the track and stands to invade into the open space.in essence, the park lacks the
necessary space for recreation. Furthermore, the park lacks the necessary connectivity to other
important sites such as the fish market and the foreshore which in essence limits its recreational
purposes and provides a platform for non-recreational activities

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.The connection of the bays to the roads is another important observation of the site.
Currently, the connection of the bays to the road is very poor and as such, there is a limitation
imposed on the type of goods that the yachts and ferries can transport. More so, the limited
connection to the glebe bridge limits the reuse of the bridge as a valuable transport network
SWOT analysis of the precinct
An important consideration in the design and implementation of the project is the SWOT
analysis. The SWOT analysis basically tries to describe the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
and threats that are encountered on the current site. All these determine the suitability and
viability of the site for the development agenda.
To begin with are the strengths of the site. One major strength is the fact that it is 2kms
from the central business district of Sydney(graph 5). The location plays a significant role in the
number of visitors that the location experiences. Furthermore, both the working class and other
classes segregate from the various locations because of the services offered at the site. Therefore,
the locational attribute presents a major and serious potential for the growth of the site into a
major area of investment.
The second strength is attributed to the land use patterns of the tract of land and the
waterfront. The land use patterns signify the development potential of any area (Lamb, , 1982)
The area remains largely unexploited with the housing schemes not properly developed while the
water still underexploited, for commercial and recreational purposes. Therefore, there is a
humongous potential for the land and water resources to develop over time. Furthermore,
considering that there is the likelihood that the housing schemes are to be zoned, the land may

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well be the most important resource that the area has. Another strength is the availability of a fish
market. Though the fish market is old, its redevelopment will rejuvenate the area and will play a
major role in the development of the area. The fish market provides a meeting ground for various
parties and as such, there is an increase in the income and revenues to the area. In consideration
of the biodiversity of the area, there is the Wentworth Park which provides an important space
for the enhancement of the biodiversity of the area. Increase in the tree canopy around this park
while at the same time increasing the number of permeable pavements provides a major strength
to this precinct. Furthermore, biodiversity is enhanced by the fact that the area forms a necklace
around a waterfront and as such, the marine life is maintained alongside human development and
progress.
One aspect of opportunity that is provided to the precinct is the potential to retain the
services and employment opportunities offered by the harbors. The employment opportunities
that may be offered by the retention of the harbor activities while at the same time expansion of
the fish market will play a major role in the development and the revenue generated in the area
(city of sydney, 2015). Furthermore, because there is a likelihood for the expansion of recreation
facilities and waters, the potential employment generated cannot be undervalued.
There is a potential of the area to serve as the platform for the growth of the technology
sector. In this regard, various studies have indicated that entrepreneurs and technologically
oriented companies basically look for places and regions where there is a high level of
connectivity and as such, the precinct may act as a magnet for potential investors and companies.
Therefore, by increasing the connectivity of the region around the bay, there is a huge potential
for the growth of the industrial sector. As a matter of fact, the area around Ultimo and Pyrmont