Sydney is getting a new suburb, one that will barely have room for car parking.<\/p>\n
The New South Wales government have revealed detailed plans for Bays West, a harbourfront precinct between Balmain and Pyrmont, with Premier Chris Minns announcing one of the most ambitious urban transport policies the state has seen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bays West will consist of a community of 8,500 homes where cycling, active travel and public transport do the heavy lifting, and private vehicles are the exception.<\/p>\n
Speaking on ABC Sydney with Craig Reucassel on Wednesday, March 4, Minns was blunt when asked whether car numbers would be capped once the development was complete.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost certainly yes,\u201d the Premier replied. \u201cThe anticipation is that 5 to 10 per cent of the apartments will have car parks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a location that’s a five-minute bike ride from the Sydney CBD,\u201d he added. Minns went on to describe the planned precinct as \u201ca public transport zone, an active transport zone.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the heart of the Bays West development is the iconic White Bay Power Station, earmarked as a major cultural destination, alongside new parklands and significant changes to Glebe Island. A new metro station will connect residents to Parramatta in 18 minutes and the Sydney CBD in five, with the full line expected to open in 2032.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Transport Minister John Graham said it will make Bays West \u201cone of the best-connected communities anywhere in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Glebe Island Bridge restoration<\/p>\n
A centrepiece of the active transport vision is a historic engineering marvel that has been rusted shut for decades, the Glebe Island Bridge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Built in 1903 and designed by Percy Allan, the same engineer behind the Pyrmont Bridge, it was one of the world’s first electrical swing spans. As part of the Bays West plan the government wants it restored and open to cyclists and pedestrians by 2030.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to open the Glebe Island Bridge so people can get into the CBD using active transport,” Minns told ABC Sydney.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A restored bridge would offer riders and walkers a flat and direct route between Rozelle and Balmain in the west to Pyrmont, Ultimo, the Sydney Fish Market, Darling Harbour and ultimately the city.<\/p>\n
The NSW Government’s Bays West Urban Place Strategy identifies the bridge as one of six foundational moves for the precinct.<\/p>\n
A neighbouring ‘Pyrmont Peninsula Place Strategy\u2019 echoes this, prioritising walking and cycling for local trips and flagging a restored Glebe Island bridge as a key component of the plan.<\/p>\n
For a city circled by motorways and toll roads, the Bays West development seems to represent a genuine shift toward smarter and more active living. The only caveat? Successive state governments have earned a reputation for overpromising and underdelivering, and for big-budget blowouts, particularly on major projects.<\/p>\n
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