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Prepare to be thunderstruck: the 144-metre residential tower and hotel proposed for the birthplace of Australian rock greats AC/DC features a golden-brown edifice that has become a lightning rod for debate in Sydney’s inner west.
But could it be on a highway to development hell? Burwood Council is among those who have lodged submissions with the state’s planning department objecting to the glossy tower, which has also raised the ire of nearby residents.
Artist’s impressions of the glittering tower proposed for the site of the birthplace of AC/DC in Burwood.Credit: PTI Architecture
Land cleared in December at the former home of Angus and Malcolm Young, 4 Burleigh Street, Burwood, would form part of the footprint of a proposed 39-storey tower featuring a hotel, commercial offices and 48 two-bedroom residential flats. The demolition stunned AC/DC fans and led Burwood Council to consider alternative tributes to the band.
The architectural designs do not reference the rock legends directly, but a heritage statement refers to the former Young family home, the formation of AC/DC in 1973, and older brother George’s involvement in the Easybeats.
Identified as a state-significant development, with residences worth at least $75 million, the tower would include 18 affordable housing units, allowing it to be fast-tracked under new planning laws.
In its submission, the council identified “significant” problems with the tower, which it says “treats the site in isolation”, does not meet design excellence standards, and will clog surrounding roads.
Burleigh Street, Burwood as seen on Thursday. The Greek Orthodox Church, Saint Nectarios, is among the organisations which have objected to the plans.Credit: Nick Moir
“In particular, the council is concerned that the proposed design does not demonstrate an adequate level of integration with the surrounding urban context.
“The development appears to have been designed in isolation, lacking a cohesive relationship with the character, scale, and function of adjacent sites,” the council said in a submission.
The council noted the former “AC/DC house” and said “any redevelopment is to provide meaningful acknowledgment of the former house and the contribution of the band to Australian music culture”.
Residents of the 24-storey Circa apartment block at 7-9 Burleigh Street argued the tower would be “excessive” in height and scale, block their views and sunlight, reduce their property values, put pressure on roads and public transport, clash with Burwood’s character and set a bad precedent.
“It represents overdevelopment, poor urban planning, and a blatant disregard for the established and growing community of Burwood. We believe the long-term social, visual, and infrastructural impacts will be overwhelmingly negative and irreparable,” the residents’ submission said.
Carol Owens said in her submission if she had “wanted to live in area with tall structures, I would not have chosen Burwood”.
“Thirty-nine storeys, really. This is Burwood, not the Sunshine Coast.”
The Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of Burwood and District Saint Nectarios said the building was too close to its boundary, and the traffic arrangements posed a “clear safety risk to pedestrians, including members of our church community”.
“While we acknowledge the importance of facilitating well-planned housing and community outcomes, this proposal presents a series of significant and unresolved planning, design, and safety issues that directly impact our property, our parishioners, and the surrounding community.”
However, Summer Hill’s Nick Pearson said Burwood was “thriving because of new development”.
“In-fill affordable housing is essential to alleviate the housing crisis,” he said in his submission.
An architectural design statement said the slender, curved building “had been arranged on the site to minimise the bulk and scale of the proposal, particularly when viewed at street level”.
Burwood Mayor John Faker previously signalled the council was considering tributes to the band, including a mural on a row of terraces on Burleigh Street; a bronze statue of band members; a heritage plaque; and possibly naming a future $50 million arts and cultural centre after them.
“We’re still floating some ideas. It’s great the band is coming to Sydney [on tour] later this year, and we’re going to reach out to them,” Faker said.
The Department of Planning has requested the developer respond to the submissions on the plan, which will eventually be decided by Planning and Public Spaces Minister Paul Scully or his delegate.
Last year, Scully scrapped the threshold that meant development proposals seeking to leverage affordable housing incentives to add height and density to apartment blocks were referred to the NSW Independent Planning Commission if the local council objected.
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The state’s planning department approved one such development – Deicorp’s mammoth $1.8 billion Kings Bay Village precinct – in nearby Five Dock this week, despite concerns raised by the City of Canada Bay Council and the Inner West Council.
The development includes 1185 apartments – including 218 affordable homes for essential workers – in six towers as tall as 31 storeys on Parramatta Road. Deicorp said the project was the first approved under the government and City of Canada Bay’s plans to transform the Parramatta Road corridor, and would deliver 23 per cent of the council’s target to deliver 5000 new homes by 2029.
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