Mixed-use development, Rangers Road/Yeo Street

Key issues

Excessive height – 12 storeys is inconsistent with North Sydney Council’s endorsed Neutral Bay Village Planning Study, which caps height for the site at 6 storeys. It also exceeds the limits in the Planning Proposal recently endorsed by the Sydney North Planning Panel - maximum part 6 & part 8-storeys - which took into account the need to protect solar access for dwellings on Yeo Street.

Overshadowing – The development will reduce solar access for homes to the south and the public domain along Yeo Street. DPHI should ensure the North Sydney DCP and Apartment Design Guide solar access standards are met.

Traffic & parking pressure – Local streets are already congested. The developer’s Transport Impact Assessment fails to account for cumulative development impacts.

Non-Compliant Parking Spaces – Of the 117 residential car spaces being proposed, the developer has allowed 80 car spaces for its 53 units with three/four-bedrooms, based on a rate of 1.5 spaces per three/four-bedroom unit. This rate significantly exceeds the maximum car parking rate under the North Sydney DCP (Section 10.2.1, Table B-10.1), which specifies a maximum rate of 1 space per unit with three/four-bedrooms. Under the North Sydney DCP the maximum number of spaces for those 53 units is therefore 53, not 80. DPHI should enforce the North Sydney DCP maximum rate to minimise adverse impacts on the local road network and promote use of sustainable and public transport, noting the site’s close proximity to major bus stops. The Apartment Design Guide, Objective 3J-1 also stipulates that provision of car parking should be based on "proximity to public transport in metropolitan Sydney". Further, based on Objective 3J-1's design criteria, Council's maximum car parking rates apply.

Inadequate affordable housing – Only 10 units, representing just 5.2% of gross floor area, are proposed as Affordable Housing, despite a proposed height uplift of 175% (calculated on the original 16m height limit under the North Sydney Local Environment Plan 2013 that applied prior to the finalisation of the recent Planning Proposal in March 2025). Under Chapter 2 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021, the minimum contribution for eligibility for any height uplift is 10%. Granting a 175% uplift for only a 5% contribution undermines the intent of the Infill Affordable Housing provisions. The affordable housing contribution should be increased.

Water infrastructure– Residents in the locality have already reported reduced water pressure issues due to the large number of developments added in recent years without commensurate increases in infrastructure. DPHI should ensure that water infrastructure is upgraded accordingly to minimise further adverse impacts on existing and future residents.

This proposal from Woolworths is too high, with too many units overall, proportionally too few affordable units and will add hugely to the Military Road and surrounding streets' congestion.
How can more than 1 car per unit be justified when the complex is so close to public transport? Are the affordable units not assigned a car space, so the multiple bedroom units have more? What if they are shift workers, and the large unit owners are just local 'downsizers'?
The overshadowing of Yeo St is unnecessary, and unfair. The traffic Yeo St already puts up with is excessive as motorists try to avoid Military Road.
The North Sydney Planning Panel is generous to Woolworths and protects Yeo St as far as is possible in the current environment, part 6 and part 8 stories is more than enough.
Please stand up to Woolworths and listen to the council, they and we residents have to manage the consequences forever.
Thank you
Margie Horan
Holt Ave, Cremorne

Where will the people go - long queues at the bus stops, ferries every half hour during the week and only hourly at weekends
Where will the cars go - grid lock in Military Road, Rangers Road and Yeo Street already to be exacerbated by this and an additional proposal on the corner. How will traffic get into and out of these developments?
Resulting shady wind tunnels like St Leonards and the city
Neutral Bay is not a transport hub and the confines of Military Road will never make it one.
Woolworths (a supermarket chain) are being opportunistic - it's about profit and taking advantage of the current hysteria not common sense.
(This development has no impact on the outlook from my apartment but I'm old and I'm finding the necessity to make these submissions because the Government is not listening to our elected Council both irritating and exhausting)

I object to an expansion of the project beyond that approved already by the North Sydney Council. Tis an abuse of the system to seek and gain approval for a development and then appeal to the state major development process. Moreover for the reasons noted below a development which will already challenge the existing infrastructure will now do it even further. I particularly the inherent absurdity in developments supposedly to take advantage of public transport corridors to then apply for above plan car spacing.

Excessive height – 12 storeys is inconsistent with North Sydney Council’s endorsed Neutral Bay Village Planning Study, which caps height for the site at 6 storeys. It also exceeds the limits in the Planning Proposal recently endorsed by the Sydney North Planning Panel - maximum part 6 & part 8-storeys - which took into account the need to protect solar access for dwellings on Yeo Street. Impacts of this include overshadowing the south.

Traffic & parking pressure – Local streets are already congested. The developer’s Transport Impact Assessment fails to account for cumulative development impacts. There are multiple multi-dwelling proposal within the immediate and nearby streets - there are already significant congestion issues including on weekends.

Non-Compliant Parking Spaces – Of the 117 residential car spaces being proposed, the developer has allowed 80 car spaces for its 53 units with three/four-bedrooms, based on a rate of 1.5 spaces per three/four-bedroom unit. This rate significantly exceeds the maximum car parking rate under the North Sydney DCP (Section 10.2.1, Table B-10.1), which specifies a maximum rate of 1 space per unit with three/four-bedrooms. Under the North Sydney DCP the maximum number of spaces for those 53 units is therefore 53, not 80. DPHI should enforce the North Sydney DCP maximum rate to minimise adverse impacts on the local road network and promote use of sustainable and public transport, noting the site’s close proximity to major bus stops. The Apartment Design Guide, Objective 3J-1 also stipulates that provision of car parking should be based on "proximity to public transport in metropolitan Sydney". Further, based on Objective 3J-1's design criteria, Council's maximum car parking rates apply.

Inadequate affordable housing – Only 10 units, representing just 5.2% of gross floor area, are proposed as Affordable Housing, despite a proposed height uplift of 175% (calculated on the original 16m height limit under the North Sydney Local Environment Plan 2013 that applied prior to the finalisation of the recent Planning Proposal in March 2025). Under Chapter 2 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021, the minimum contribution for eligibility for any height uplift is 10%. Granting a 175% uplift for only a 5% contribution undermines the intent of the Infill Affordable Housing provisions. The affordable housing contribution should be increased.

Water infrastructure– Residents in the locality have already reported reduced water pressure issues due to the large number of developments added in recent years without commensurate increases in infrastructure. DPHI should ensure that water infrastructure is upgraded accordingly to minimise further adverse impacts on existing and future residents.

My main concerns in regards this proposed large re-development (part being 12 storeys high) are:

1. excessive height which exceeds the Council's planning limits. The proposed 12 storeys is way bigger than any other development in the area and has excessive bulk. The development is proposing a BIG bulky building.
2. excessive overshadowing due to the bulk of the proposed building
3. the development allows for 358 parking places and 167 bike spaces. This will increase local traffic and the plans do not properly allow for this increase.
In addition, how will the trucks service the Woolworths supermarket ? If after hours, will this impact on the actual residential development (trucks deliver to the existing supermarket but there are now proposed 97 apartments on the top of the area) ?
Also the number of bike spaces seems very large - who cycles to do their shopping ?
4. the amount of affordable housing seems very low and unfair at only 10 apartments, considering the bulk/size of the proposed development. Woolworths seem to be using the 'affordable housing' excuse to gain much extra height exemptions. How is affordable housing managed over the next 15 years ?
5. Has this development adequately addressed water supply ? The area already has problems with the supply of water and a 12 storey building with 97 apartments plus commercial space will need proper utilities (water, sewage, electricity).
6. the current site in Rangers Road has a Transport NSW bus parking area plus a taxi rank and disabled parking - what happens to these public transport options ? All the neat developer plans/drawings ignore the current bus/taxi/disabled parking - where is this going to be in the future ?
7. the proposed landscape plan shows only 2 new trees to added to Rangers Road - this seems very little considering the scale/bulk of the development.


Thank you

David Yuill

(1) Excessive height – 12 storeys is inconsistent with North Sydney Council's endorsed Neutral Bay Village Planning Study, which caps height for the site at 6 storeys. It also exceeds the limits in the Planning Proposal recently endorsed by the Sydney North Planning Panel - maximum part 6 & part 8-storeys - which took into account the need to protect solar access for dwellings on Yeo Street.
(2) Traffic & parking pressure – Local streets are already congested. The developer's Transport Impact Assessment fails to account for cumulative development impacts.
(3) Water infrastructure– Residents in the locality have already reported reduced water pressure issues due to the large number of developments added in recent years without commensurate increases in infrastructure. DPHI should ensure that water infrastructure is upgraded accordingly to minimise further adverse impacts on existing and future residents.
(4) Inadequate affordable housing – Only 10 units, representing just 5.2% of gross floor area, are proposed as Affordable Housing, despite a proposed height uplift of 175% (calculated on the original 16m height limit under the North Sydney Local Environment Plan 2013 that applied prior to the finalisation of the recent Planning Proposal in March 2025). Under Chapter 2 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021, the minimum contribution for eligibility for any height uplift is 10%. Granting a 175% uplift for only a 5% contribution undermines the intent of the Infill Affordable Housing provisions. The affordable housing contribution should be increased.
(5) Non-Compliant Parking Spaces – Of the 117 residential car spaces being proposed, the developer has allowed 80 car spaces for its 53 units with three/four-bedrooms, based on a rate of 1.5 spaces per three/four-bedroom unit. This rate significantly exceeds the maximum car parking rate under the North Sydney DCP (Section 10.2.1, Table B-10.1), which specifies a maximum rate of 1 space per unit with three/four-bedrooms. Under the North Sydney DCP the maximum number of spaces for those 53 units is therefore 53, not 80. DPHI should enforce the North Sydney DCP maximum rate to minimise adverse impacts on the local road network and promote use of sustainable and public transport, noting the site's close proximity to major bus stops. The Apartment Design Guide, Objective 3J-1 also stipulates that provision of car parking should be based on "proximity to public transport in metropolitan Sydney". Further, based on Objective 3J-1's design criteria, Council's maximum car parking rates apply.
(6) Overshadowing – The development will reduce solar access for homes to the south and the public domain along Yeo Street. DPHI should ensure the North Sydney DCP and Apartment Design Guide solar access standards are met.

I refer to the proposed development of the site where Woolworths is currently on Rangers Road.
The proposal to have 14 stories is not in keeping with the neighbourhood.Most developments are 5 to 6 storeys maximum. Further storeys lead to overshadowing and wind tunnels, see North Sydney currently. This will detract from the village feel of Neutral Bay village.
Adding to the already dense housing situation will add more traffic. This area is already stretched with a primary school, a fire station and a bus route on Yeo street.
Whilst I do support additional housing in the area, a development of that size is completely out of character for the area. There are plenty of opportunities for more medium size developments as well

I have sound knowledge of the parking, traffic flow and other general issues facing the Neutral Bay/Cremorne community and strongly oppose the excessive height request due to the site being unsuitable for the scale of development proposed.

Heights: The reference to 8 & 12 stories might be correct in terms of levels but it is smoke and mirrors in terms of actual height. The heights proposed are more like 9-10&13-14 story heights when compared to heights of apartment blocks in the area. The proposed 8 &12 levels are excessive given the development is directly adjacent to an established residential area where for very valid reasons buildings of 8 residential levels were never expected to be approved again. The requested heights are also not in line with the recent Sydney North Planning Panel recommendation. The suitable height for the area is no more than 6 levels consistent with the height of the adjacent Muse building, a sympathetic and beautiful addition to the area. My understanding is the proposed height increase is a trade off for 10 affordable housing units, but this represents only half of the minimum requirement. This token offer provides minimal if any real community benefit.
Solar and light impacts: The proposed heights will unacceptably impact light and solar access to Yeo St and also to the living areas of blocks facing south along Harrison Street especially in the winter months. For some apartments the Rangers Rd tower sitting behind the Muse will totally block sun and significantly reduce light to the living rooms specifically in winter, other rooms will also be affected leading to increased electricity use. The increase from 6 to 8 levels of the Yeo St tower also reduces the sun and light to a lesser extent from the northwest aspect. The impact to Harrison St has not been appropriately considered however the impact to Yeo Street properties alone should be enough argument for the height to be no higher than the actual height of the Muse building

Wind Tunnel impact: There has been little consideration of the wind tunnel effect of 8 & 12 story buildings on Yeo St , Rangers Rd and the public plaza (which may end up nothing more than takeaway food court due to the space potentially being cold, windy with little sunlight).

Traffic: The scale will only aggravate an already stressed road network. The Military Rd corridor is already at capacity for many hours a day 7 days a week, feeder roads e.g. Yeo, Rangers ,Watson are already congested particularly at peak times, peak hour has expanded now to several hours a day and weekends especially in summer. See picture of Military Rd on a winter Sunday afternoon .Military Rd is a known serious traffic problem road, the obvious pressure on Military Rd and south side feeder roads should be an impediment to high rise and the over development of the Military Road corridor and surrounding local streets. Traffic is increasing also as a result of new developments between Cremorne and the southern end of the Northern Beaches along with the Warringah Freeway upgrade /Western Harbour Tunnel causing closure of the Ernest St Bridge Freeway access. The development will result in significantly more cars and delivery trucks of various sizes increasing the noise level local residences will experience. July 2024 Traffic movements as stated in the Traffic Report are irrelevant with working from home decreasing. A significant increase in local residents, visitors, clients and shoppers increases the pressure on Military Rd, local roads and the over stretched bus network.

Dangerous Military Lane Access: Due to Yeo St and Military Lane issues Woolworths currently is supposed to be restricted to a maximum of 35 deliveries per day with truck size also restricted, the number of deliveries for a new larger supermarket plus other commercial businesses on the site will significantly increase traffic movements in and around Military Lane presenting an increased safety risk for drivers, riders and pedestrian. Congestion along Yeo St, Rangers Rd and Watson St will be further affected.
The duration and type of construction of the scale proposed presents excessive noise, dirt, road issues and traffic delays for many many months. Yeo St is very narrow, and all the local roads are only two lanes. The Fire Station on Yeo St servicing our local area is likely to be affected with potential delays in responding to fire emergencies. The ongoing volume of deliveries and size of delivery trucks are other concerning issues for the size of the roads. A sink hole just opened at the intersection of Wycombe Rd and Yeo Street close to the proposed development, the impact on the stability of our roads by large construction and more delivery trucks long term is another cause for concern.

Transport: Increasing the population around Military Rd just adds to the public transport deficit issues. Military Rd has no light rail , no metro, no train station just government buses and private school buses. Ubers are common adding to the traffic problem. Bus queues during peak hours wind around the streets. Bendy buses from the Northern Beaches do not fully resolve the problem at Neutral Bay. Noted are the very sensible almost completed 6 level developments on Flacon Street near the Pacific Highway supported by Highway buses and within easy walking distance of the Crows Nest Metro.
Parking: An increase in commercial and residential activity in the area will impact the already difficult parking situation along Military Rd and the surrounding streets. Most apartments in the area are 1- & 2-bedroom apartments with one car spot however many have 2 cars. Providing 117 residential car spaces when 50% of the unit stock is 3 and 4 bedrooms is inadequate even if it exceeds the NSC DCP car space limit. Yes some apartments may have children but these children grow up and want cars , it is also likely a number of the large units from the start will have 2 -3 cars .The reality is cars are here to stay and more units = more traffic and more cars parked on the road. Residential Visitor parking has not been adequately addressed. The number of bike spaces in the development is grossly excessive. Currently the Woolworths site has 100 car spaces for the supermarket, the proposal offering 181 for a larger supermarket and multiple commercial spaces and retail shops, seems inadequate .The more recent inclusion of a large Medical Centre with 96 car spaces suggests a further increase in local traffic and car movements . The traffic report cites a 9-year-old 2015 car parking report for medical practices, models of GP medical practices have changed a lot since 2015 and does not adequately represent a medical practice of this size. Concern exists that NSC will implement more metered parking in the local streets as a result of the development. This certainly would not in the best interest of the local residents struggling now to park near their residences at no charge or for longer than 2 hours .There are 2 disabled street level car parking spaces outside 1-7 Rangers Rd currently, those are essential especially given the lack of disabled carparking spaces on the southern side of Military Rd. More disabled parking dedicated to the supermarket, commercial and retail development is required.

Underground supermarket: Neutral Bay is not freezing Montreal ; do not need to shop underground. Seems little has been learnt from the pandemic, Covid will be around for many years to come, this is still a dangerous disease especially with decreasing vaccination rates. Cramming the elderly, the disabled, the unwell, parents with prams etc into lifts simply because the only other option is a steep escalator or travellator is not in the community interest. A ground level supermarket provides convenience to many shoppers and to time poor people, underground supermarkets take more time, waiting for lifts etc (if you can get into a lift not full of shopping trolleys being returned to the store by the trolley collectors, a common problem at the Neutral Bay store now). The convenience and public benefit of a ground floor supermarket cannot be underestimated. The Lane Cove underground supermarket is an example of steep access and in my experience an unpleasant underground shopping experience. To replicate this model in Neutral Bay would be unfortunate.

Electricity and water resources - what consideration has been given to the local water and electricity infrastructure to support such developments given the government was requesting not so long-ago households to restrict power usage to reduce stress on the supply. This development will have significant power demands, and each retail, commercial and residential unit will likely have ACs.

Cumulative effects: The proposal is requested to not be viewed in isolation. The combined impact of the adjacent 183-185 Military Rd proposed development not to mention other local developments and potential development sites in the near future is important .183 -185 Military Rd also impacts Military Lane access along with the same traffic, parking etc issues mentioned.

Overall, the community benefits are minimal compared to the negative impacts such a complex will have on the area. The solar, light, wind impacts on residences and streets, along with the local poor road and transport infrastructure makes the size of the development unsuitable. The area can support a medium rise development no higher than the Muse but the proposed scale of this development for many reasons is not in in the best interests of the community, once built it is there forever with the community left suffering all the enduring related problems.

I object to the development deemed significant, and a public hearing needs to be held due to the significant negative impact of this development planning proposal. Excessive height,12 stories is inconsistent with North Sydney Council’s endorsed Neutral Bay Village Planning Study, which caps height for the site at 6 stories. It also exceeds the limits in the Planning Proposal endorsed by the Sydney North Planning Panel max. part 6 & part 8 stories. The development will reduce solar access for homes, 9 Rangers Rd and the public domain along Yeo Street. DPHI should ensure the North Sydney DCP and Apartment Design Guide solar access standards are met. The adjacent building at 9 Rangers rd. is not correctly represented, drawings exclude the main atrium feature letting light into apartments. The 12-story will completely overshadow Traffic, parking pressure, Local streets congested.

The traffic congestion and car parking will be unbearable. I am in my 80's and trying to navigate this suggested project is terrible. The excessive height of 12 storeys is totally out of keeping with the area. The added noise, congestion and confusion will be totally unacceptable. We are a close friendly community at the moment and do not need this ridiculous high-rise taking the sunlight and changing the atmosphere of this area. Please do not allow this project to proceed as requested.

Refer attachment below.

I am a resident at 9 Rangers Rd and have made a submission regarding the 12 story 1-7 Rangers rd
development( Yet again..) .
Going through the documents the BDAR Waiver document potentially misrepresents the site, where the
picture on page 9 places a red ring around the development, but this also includes 9-11 Rangers Rd in the
lower Right corner which is our building and not part of the development. This should be corrected.
You will also see a feature in the picture of a large square atrium in our building. This is a significant natural
light feature for the 23 apartments, which will be affected, but this is consistently ignored on the shadow or
any other drawings provided by Fabcot.
Can this feature please be noted in the review process.
Thankyou.

I am concerned about the local businesses whose businesses are located near the proposed development. This project is going to have a considerable impact on their trade. These people's livelihoods depend on foot traffic, and this will be compromised during this time. I support change and not opposed to the development, but I do not think the businesses involved in making this development should profit at the expense of those whose businesses will be directly impacted. We are talking about people's mental health, financial capacity and long-term prospects and I think these should be taken into consideration. They should be financially compensated for the shortfall in their business trade.

The NSW Government tries to override local controls without a legislation passed in the Parliament and lack of majority. Councils are elected democratically by Australian citizens and as such overriding their legislation is unconstitutional. The constitution should be changed to allow for any interference in local matters by a government without clear majority.
On the other note the planning proposal seeks to squish a high rise building in an area where there were no studies done around how it would impact the local infrastructure taking into account the increased demand due to the low and mid rise policy which is again unconstitutional.

I think the project seems to be a very good project for future development

I vehemently object to the height of the proposed development.

Twelve (12) storeys is abominably high given the existing height of the large majority of buildings in the area. This development should absolutely NOT be permitted to be so high. Even eight (8) storeys seems excessive.
I submit that so as to be in keeping with the area and not to ruin its character the number of storeys be reduced, especially given the building on the corner of Rangers Road and Yeo Street is five storeys and the significantly likely shadowing and wind tunnel effects of such a development seems recklessly excessive. The couple of ugly high-rise apartment buildings that are 8 or more storeys further down Rangers Road already significantly detract from the area and cause undue shadowing over neighbouring properties.

I strongly urge the height of the development to be carefully reconsidered.

The Harrison-Bennett Precinct is a local community group operating under the auspices of North Sydney Council, focusing on matters of importance for residents in Cremorne and Neutral Bay, south of Military Road. The subject site is located within the Harrison-Bennett Precinct.

The Precinct considered the proposed development [SSD-82875708] at its meeting on 7 August 2025 and unanimously resolved to make a submission. We are concerned that, as currently proposed, the development will deliver poor public outcomes. The Precinct urges the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) to require amendments to the proposed design to address the issues as outlined in the attached submission and ensure the development delivers genuine and enduring public benefits.

I object. Please don’t.

I object to the project as it will likely result in reduced quality of life for the residents in the area. Many residents including me all feel that the current infrastructure of the building and the services it provides are more than sufficient for our day-to-day living.

I object to this in its entirety. It will destroy the area. The minister and their delegate ought to be ashamed of themselves.

Has impact of this development and others e.g. proposed Coles development for commercial and residential, and recent completion of Waters Road building in the Neutral Bay area on Sydney Water water supply and pressure for domestic and emergency use not been compromised, and traffic parking in the neighborhood (extending beyond parking included in the developments) been addressed to protect the interests, access and assets of current neighbouring residents.