Goodman Group outlines its future Fishermans Bend expectations

Fishermans Bend's largest land owner has teamed with Roberts Day to table a far-reaching report which forms its response to the Fishermans Bend Draft Framework Plan.

Across 437-481 Plummer Street, 153 Bertie Street & 350 Bridge Street and 520 Graham Street, the Goodman portfolio spans six separate land parcels amounting to 33 hectares, or in excess of 330,000 square metres. 26 hectares of this land is continuous across both the Wirraway and Sandridge precincts.

As such both Goodman Group (Goodman Property Services Pty Ltd) and Roberts Day see the various development sites as a unique opportunity.

The Goodman’s land has the potential scale to create a 21st century extension to the city. Since the inception of Fishermans Bend and as the precinct’s largest landowner, Goodman has always sought to proactively partner with government to shape a great place delivering real public benefit.

Our response to the Draft Framework reflects Goodman’s desire to embrace and evolve the vision and its sustainability goals.

The Draft Framework requires a significant amount of private land be dedicated for new streets, lanes and parks. It also identifies a range of other public benefits, including community-orientated hubs and affordable housing as desirable. Goodman supports in-principle these goals of the Draft Framework.

In realising the full potential of Fishermans Bend, a transport solution to match people’s mobility needs as renewal occurs has always been ‘’the challenge’’.

Submission to the Fishermans Bend Planning Review Panel

Give and take on the question of height and density

Goodman Group and Roberts Day have formulated two additional built form concepts after determining that the current Base Concept (a literal interpretation of the FAR, Height and other key design controls under the Draft Framework) has deficiencies. "The Draft Framework’s conundrum is that the ‘place density’ and ‘resident density’ are not optimised. In other words, the relatively low ‘resident density’ will undermine the inherent value of the public realm framework".

The two additional concepts look to "reconcile this conundrum by increasing the resident density in a way that is still consistent with the overall vision for Fishermans Bend and Draft Frameworks Sustainability Goals".

Consequently a Base Plus Concept and Value Add Concept have been included for consideration. Base Plus involves slight height increases across each precinct, whilst the Value Add Concept is intended to optimise both public realm inclusions, public benefits and residential density.

Goodman's stance is that an increased public realm intensity justifies an increase in average resident density to between 427 to 524 dwellings per hectare.

It is worth noting that although the majority of Goodman's land holdings maintain height controls, its most eastern developable land is height unlimited with the only caveat being that public spaces cannot be overshadowed.

Additional key recommendations

Goodman's submission also touched upon the following topics:

• Revise FAU Uplift Control: Goodman will use the FAR Uplift Control to deliver a significant quantum of hubs and affordable housing at a district scale, but requires the numeric height limit of the Uplift Control be replaced by performance based measures.
• Affordable housing: The revised FAU Uplift Control provides the appropriate mechanism for the private sector to deliver a rate of affordable housing in equilibrum with market housing. As such, the 6% target should be deleted.
• Adjust apartment size and mix: The Draft Framework’s proposed three bedroom target lacsk flexibility in responding to the market and end user needs. A performance based objective is considered a more appropriate mechanism.
• Delete heritage overlay: The Draft Framework incorrectly identifies a heritage overlay on a significant part of Goodman’s Sandridge land. The overlay artificially limits the potential of this land. It is not supported by the background reports or heritage experts and should be deleted. 
• Goodman future mobility network: Government support in-principle Goodman’s mobility vision and a ‘city deal’ or public private partnership discussion is initiated to create a roadmap for success.
• Focus hubs in Wirraway: Using a revised FAU Uplift Control, Goodman will deliver a significant quantum of hubs in close proximity to JL Murphy Reserve. Wirraway’s job creation will focus on people working in health, education and creative sectors.

To digest the Goodman Group/Roberts Day submission in full, visit the Fishermans Bend Planning Review Panel submission here.