White Bay Power Station in the Sydney suburb of Rozelle will be reborn as a hub for knowledge-intensive industries.
The repurposing of the shuttered coal-fired electricity generator is part of the New South Wales Government’s plan for the transformation of Sydney’s Bays Precinct.
“This plan showcases the NSW Government’s ambition for The Bays Precinct to drive an internationally competitive economy by creating destinations on Sydney Harbour that will generate space for high-tech jobs and sustainable homes of the future,” said NSW Premier Mike Baird.
“White Bay Power Station has the potential to be a hub for knowledge-intensive jobs in new economy areas, while providing an opportunity to restore the heritage building and provide public access to the foreshore.”
More than 200 ideas were submitted through a “Call for Great Ideas” initiative; part of Transformation Plan for The Bays Precinct. One of the common themes to emerge was that parts of The Bays Precinct could be used for the generation of renewable energy.
Around a quarter of the submissions related to the White Bay Power Station.
“We want White Bay Power Station to be the best example in Sydney of how living, working and learning can be woven together to create a prosperous and thriving economy,” says the Transforming The Bays web site.
” A global and regional destination within the Asia-Pacific that co-locates research, business, education, science, academia, technology and start-up incubators to drive global competitiveness and innovation is part of our vision for this Destination.”
A Request For Proposals will be released to identify organisations capable of delivering a globally recognised transformation of the White Bay Power Station and its surrounds, and will be open from the end of this month to February 25, 2016.
White Bay was the longest serving of Sydney’s metropolitan power stations; operating from 1917 and ceasing generation in late 1983. The facility had a maximum output of 186MW. The site was Heritage-listed in 1995 and sold to the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA) for around $4 million in 2000.
White Bay’s toxic legacy wasn’t just emissions from burning coal. Buildings on the site contained asbestos materials and lead paint and other hazardous substances; all of which have been removed.
