Good afternoon,

I am writing to very strongly object to the proposed major changes to the development plans for the former Water Board site (903-921 Bourke Street, Waterloo).

The proposed increase in height—from 12 to 30 storeys on Bourke St, and from 21 to 37 storeys on Young St—is excessive. In fact, I believe the current approved development is excessive. I live across the road from the development in Thread Lane. I own an apartment in the Divercity complex.

The proposed amendment represents a ~67% increase in building scale, which is a fundamental departure from the originally approved concept.

My key concerns as a local resident include:

Visual Impact & Neighbourhood Character: The proposed height is drastically out of scale with the surrounding Waterloo precinct.

Overshadowing: Towers of this magnitude (30-37 storeys) will significantly reduce solar access to neighbouring homes like mine and public spaces. An existing amended DA development across the road from me has already stolen valuable sunshine and darkened my apartment considerably. I cannot afford to lose any more light.

Infrastructure Strain: A 67% increase in density will place unmanageable pressure on local traffic, parking, and public transport, which are already at capacity.

Wind Impacts: Increasing height to 37 storeys poses a risk of severe wind tunnel effects at street level, impacting pedestrian safety and comfort. The existing wind tunnel effects are already severe.

My Waterloo is already the most densely populated area in Australia. I’m constantly having to deal with the worst effects of close living and the proposed amendments to the current approved DA completely ignore the living conditions of current residents in the area.

Anthony Lloyd.

I very strongly object to the project as it is a gross overdevelopment of the site based on what was previously approved, and that the local area is already struggling to accommodate the current number of residents.
In particular, roads, parking, traffic and public transport are of concern to me. Buses in our area, just north of the development site, are unusable at peak times due to overcrowding.
Furthermore, local infrastructure as it exists will not deal with the increase in population in terms of schools, libraries, small and large green spaces and general amenities that make an area liveable. These have been issues for many years, impacting our family directly and I cannot see how that is to be addressed and improved with this over-burdening on the Waterloo area. The government did not supply public high school options for us when we needed them, and this problem will only be further exacerbated by over-development. This has a major impact on all resident's quality of life.
The new proposed height of the building and the overshadowing of the street are completely alarming and will negatively impact the general neighbourhood environment. We live in an area that is entitled to have a residential street environment, NOT a CBD one.
I also note that any engagement with the public about such concerns has been completely woeful. As a long term resident it is only at the very last moment that I have become aware of this attempt to so drastically alter from the approved guidelines and this points to nefarious intent by the developer to completely negate the impact on the people that already live in the area. Our area has supported sustained higher density building to the immediate south for many years and the rules that exist for this type of development are being ignored for this already high density area. Our government should protect our right to have a liveable neighbourhood alongside the necessity for more housing, and they should be looking to suburbs that have not had the already supported the massive increase in population that this location and surrounds has.
Please do not let the increase in the height of the buildings be approved.

As a resident in the neighbourhood and an ESD Consultant, this increase in size and scope at this stage of development seems to be undertaken lightly. Have all ESD impacts for the increased development been assessed?

The impacts of this development will include:
1. Infrastructure strain — the extra residents would place unacceptable pressure on local roads, parking and public transport, all of which are already stretched. Services such as the 304 bus and peak-hour trains from Green Square are already at or near capacity, and buses often pass by because they’re full.
2. Shortage of amenities - Public amenities are already under pressure and are unlikely to keep pace with the additional residents. Even now it can be difficult to find a place to sit and work at the library. This development would add further strain and make an
already crowded situation worse.
3. Visually overbearing development - The proposed height is far too large for its surroundings and is out of character with the existing neighbourhood. Its scale would dominate the local streetscape and create a serious visual impact, undermining the current character of the area.
4. Overshadowing impacts - The two oversized towers proposed at 903-921 Bourke Street, together with the tower proposed at 881-885 Bourke Street, would create significant cumulative overshadowing during the winter solstice, affecting a large area of nearby homes and public open space.

These will have a huge impact on the daily lives of my family and me in the community.

I object to the proposed extension of building heights and number of apartments in this proposal. As a nearby owner and resident in Potter Street, the reason for my objection is that the impact on public transport infrastructure and capacity in the immediate area of the project has not been adequately addressed. The increase to apartment and resident numbers already represented by the existing planning approval will severely strain any realistic increase to public transport capacity hat is already planned. The infrastructure of bus stops and capacity from frequency of bus journeys will be unable to be increased sufficient to cover the nearly doubling of apartments and residents under this proposal. The transport system will simply be unable to cope with the increase.

Public transport in the area around Danks, Bourke, Potter and McEvoy Streets is already severely strained. There are many occasions already when buses on the 304 and 320 routes, in particular, are skipping bus stops due to being overcapacity. This is partly exacerbated by untimed scheduling on the 304 loop run. While buses are meant to arrive around every 10 minutes, in practice you often get two or three buses in quick succession followed by a longer gap. Then the next bus to arrive is under pressure from early in its run from Zetland to the city. I've seen many occasions where the bus is full before it gets to the major stop at Bourke and Danks Streets, with a large number of passengers waiting, but refuses to pick new passengers up. And this isn't just on especially busy days or during major events. It happens sometimes on regular weekdays and weekends.

If the current proposal to expand this project is to be approved, it must be accompanied by a new metro station or light rail branch line to cope with the increase. Even a significant increase in bus numbers to every five minutes would likely be inadequate.

I am writing to strongly object to the proposed major changes to the development plans for the former Water Board site (903-921 Bourke Street, Waterloo).

My key concerns as a local resident include:


Visual Impact & Neighbourhood Character: The proposed height is drastically out of scale with the surrounding Waterloo precinct.


Overshadowing: Towers of this magnitude (30-37 storeys) will significantly reduce solar access to neighbouring homes and public spaces.


Infrastructure Strain: A 67% increase in density will place unmanageable pressure on local traffic, parking, and public transport, which are already at capacity.


Wind Impacts: Increasing height to 37 storeys poses a risk of severe wind tunnel effects at street level, impacting pedestrian safety and comfort.


I request that my objection be formally noted.

There are major concerns with the increase in scale of the development at 903-921 Burke Street, including:
- A major increase in congestion in an already dense area that has very limited ability (if any) to expand roads to cater for the increase in traffic
- Additional strain on parking and public transport (it is already a challenge to catch a bus in the morning on Burke street or a train in Green Square during peak hour time).
- Limited visible consultation with local residents despite the scale of the proposed change
- The areas has zero existing buildings of a size anywhere near as the proposed one, meaning the new development will stick out like a sore thumb and will open the flood gate to additional developments of similar height, with a compounding effect on the above issues.
Additionally, the proposed extension of 903 Burke Street will completely block the city view for the entire complex I live in, including from the rooftop pool and entertainment area we (owners) paid a significant premium for.

I am owner of an apartment in 850 Burke Street. I am supportive of development in the area. However, I strongly oppose the changes sought for this development. The proposed increase in scale would put a substantial increase on strain on infrastructure in the area. In addition, the development would be visually overbearing and create excessive overshadowing in the area and would likely create a wind-tunnel for pedestrians. This substantial increase in density would also affect the value of the properties I already own in Waterloo, with so much stock coming on market at the same time. I would like scale of the development to be reduced back to the original proposal or at least reduced to a level that is more sustainable for the current level of infrastructure and amenities.

I am the owner of an apartment located in close proximity to the site and I object to the DASCO proposal (SSD‑95997711) to substantially increase the scale of development at 903–921 Bourke Street. This proposal represents a dramatic and unjustified departure from what was originally approved by the City of Sydney and undermines planning certainty for existing residents who relied on those approvals.

The proposed height increases, from 12 to 31 storeys and 21 to 38 storeys, are excessive and cannot be considered minor amendments. They fundamentally change the scale, intensity, and character of the development. The increase in dwelling numbers from 347 to 580 apartments, with only 20 additional parking spaces, is manifestly inadequate and wholly disconnected from the capacity of local roads, parking, and services.

The proposal must be assessed in the context of cumulative impacts. Together with other major developments in the area, including the proposed 38‑storey tower at 881–885 Bourke Street (SSD‑80441462), thousands of new residents will be introduced into an already constrained neighbourhood. Public transport services, including buses and peak‑hour trains from Green Square, are already overcrowded, roads and parking are heavily congested, and community amenities such as the local library are operating beyond capacity. No convincing evidence has been provided to demonstrate that these impacts can be adequately mitigated.

From an urban design perspective, the proposed towers are visually overbearing and inconsistent with the established and approved built form of the area. The cumulative effect of multiple oversized towers will also result in significant winter solstice overshadowing, negatively impacting nearby homes and public open space.

This proposal prioritises height and density uplift over sound planning outcomes, infrastructure capacity, and residential amenity. It undermines the planning controls and approvals that residents relied on when choosing to live in this area. For these reasons, the proposal is not in the public interest and should be refused, and I strongly urge the NSW Government to reject SSD‑95997711.

This will be an eyesore in an already dense area. It's impossible to get a seat on the bus home as it is!

I am writing to strongly object to the proposed major changes to the development plans for the former Water Board site (903-921 Bourke Street, Waterloo).

My key concerns as a local resident include:


Visual Impact & Neighbourhood Character: The proposed height is drastically out of scale with the surrounding Waterloo precinct.


Overshadowing: Towers of this magnitude (30-37 storeys) will significantly reduce solar access to neighbouring homes and public spaces.


Infrastructure Strain: A 67% increase in density will place unmanageable pressure on local traffic, parking, and public transport, which are already at capacity.


Wind Impacts: Increasing height to 37 storeys poses a risk of severe wind tunnel effects at street level, impacting pedestrian safety and comfort.