The owner of Rose Bay Marina has vowed to take Woollahra Council to court after its planners rejected a proposal to add berths, fearing the expansion would block water views and further privatise Sydney Harbour.
The legal battle looms after Woollahra Council’s planning panel refused the $2 million proposal for a new marina arm with 32 berths for vessels up to 20 metres long.
Development plans said the proposal would help accommodate rising powerboat ownership and alleviate a shortage of berths on Sydney Harbour.
The planning panel ruled that converting swing moorings to fixed floating berths would amount to an “overdevelopment” of the site and cause “unacceptable impacts on the scenic character of Rose Bay”.
“The visual dominance of fixed marina infrastructure would favour a smaller number of berth-holders over the broader community’s enjoyment of existing views,” the panel found.
“The proposal fails to prioritise the public good and protection of Sydney Harbour as a public resource.”
Marina owner Ned O’Neil said he was disappointed by the decision and confirmed the ruling would be appealed in the Land and Environment Court.
“We felt the proposal was in the public interest and met all the planning requirements,” he said.
The decision is the latest setback in a nearly 20-year battle to expand the site, operated by Addenbrooke Marinas. Previous development proposals were rejected by the Land and Environment Court in 2009 and 2013 due to the impact on the visual character of Rose Bay.
The latest application proposed surrendering 55 existing commercial swing moorings in exchange for the new fixed berths. The marina said there would be a 3.5-metre height limit on vessels, to maintain harbour views over the new berths.
The proposal prompted intense community interest, with more than 400 submissions lodged during consultation. Of those, 328 opposed the proposal and 89 supported it.
Rose Bay resident Warren Kidson addressed a public council meeting last week to voice his concerns about the plans.
“The views are already impaired by boats, the masts of the yachts, and the extension of the marina would add to these existing eyesores,” he said.
Rose Bay resident Patricia Armatti also raised concerns about pollution and potential impacts on seagrass and marine life.
Woollahra councillor Mary-Lou Jarvis said Sydney Harbour was the city’s “most valuable public asset” and should remain accessible to the broader community.
“I’m not against the boats or people, but the problem is we have a public asset that we need to protect and it’s increasingly being privatised for private use,” she said.
The marina argued the proposal had aimed to address concerns raised in earlier development applications while responding to rising boat ownership, particularly demand for berths for powerboats between 10 and 15 metres.
The plans referred to the NSW Government’s boat storage policy, which identified Rose Bay as a location for additional boating facilities.
Among a string of unsuccessful marina expansion proposals in Sydney, an $8.5 million redevelopment of Woolwich Marina was rejected by the Land and Environment Court in January.
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David Barwell is an urban affairs reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners
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