Mod 15 - Internal and external design changes

Dear Reviewer

As a local resident, I am concerned that this MOD 15 has not adequately considered the necessary social amenity and residential needs.

I think all major projects need to add to their deliverables some key requirements of the community and its residents --as they are the ones left after the building developments are completed.

This MOD as well as the future developments regarding PPPS demand far more accountability by developers,big business to genuinely consider the risks associated with increased activity and how local residents and the community at large can co exist and live in a safe environment.

So areas of material consideration that should be added must address crime, potential anti social behaviour, poor compliance of guests and taxis and impacts on local residents and these areas (amongst others that planners would know better than me!) should be included and benchmarked against best practice within this MOD and all going forward.

Noise
The areas of focus should be noise mitigation in the build form and the use of noise reducing materials as residents live directly opposite.
Noise from patrons, taxis, bump in and bump out mini vans idlings and buses etc should be considered and plans ensuring reduced noise and polution.
Increased patrols by security and police should be considered ad or added to rosters to reduce noise and impacts of noise from departing traffic.

Lighting
Increased /though non intrusive lighting should be included ,planned and more cost effectivle installed to improve overall neighbourhood appeal and reduced anti social behaviour.

Safety
CCTV should be further installed diring this MOD and subsequent works to assist compliance by the Star as well as to assist Police. Additional safety features should be considered - like taxi toilet areas as at present drivers are causing community concerns.
Around public space - new plans should identify risks to the community safety and new intatives included.

I am not against this MOD but think The Star and its consultants need to include and improve the overall safety,lighting and noise mitigation around their site.
The Star needs to do more to ensure the community can enjoy this beautiful heritage and harbour area.
I do not consider this MOD has fully considered nor included the residential and social amenity of the community.
Thank you for your considerations

We do not oppose this project but provide the following comments:
Location - The Star sits adjacent residential areas, including Jones Bay Road, Edward St and Pyrmont Street. As the Star has continued to modify its premises since its initial opening, nearby residents have experienced a steady decrease in amenity as new venues have opened, traffic has increased, and, in particular, so has noise from its premises. Any refurbishment from now on should address these problems which have been raised on numerous occasions.
Signage - We have no objection to changes to signage which aids visitors to The Star, but, given the already high ambient light impacts, ask that every effort be made to ensure that these changes do not add to the light pollution in the area. As sometime visitors to The Star to attend meetings and functions, we have found it extremely difficult to find our way around the premises internally and propose that clear wayfinding signage be provided within the building, perhaps with location maps installed at appropriate sites.
Safety and Security - As this MOD 15 is focused on lighting which requires extensive electrical work, we ask that the works include installation of CCTV cameras at appropriate sites on the exterior of the building, acting both as a deterrent to anti-social behaviour, and also as a means of identifying problems in real time, or post an event. Such installation has been recommended by the Local Area Command in recent meetings with members of the community affected by such anti-social behaviour, both in the vicinity of The Star, and at Jones Bay Wharf in Pirrama Road.
Upgrade of Facades - It is proposed to refresh facades, including by re-painting them. We ask that consideration be given to the installation of noise absorbing panels to reduce the noise impact of the existing hard surfaces. We also ask that The Star engage in community consultation regarding the colour and treatment of the facade surfaces.

The Greater Sydney Division of Transport for NSW (TfNSW) will provide a response for the above. Therefore, no submission will be provided for the DPIE’s request via [email protected] in this instance.

See attached

Hi Andrew

Please find attached TfNSW response related to the modifications to Star Casino Development Application - MP08_0098-Mod-15.

If you have any question please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards

Divna Cvetojevic
Development Assessment Officer
Planning and Programs
Greater Sydney
Transport for NSW

M 0455 515 259
Level 6, 27 Argyle Street, Parramatta NSW2150

Please see attached.

***We do not give permission for our names and any personal details to be disclosed****

Thank you for the opportunity to provide genuine and considered feedback on this proposal for a site close to our home.

We support Mod 15, delivering on: -
- Long term economic strength, spending on the health of building structure and spending on design changes
- Being accountable for choosing quality long-life materials and workmanship
- Facade colour renewal choice of a less-saturated shade of green, over not exceptional off-white

However we have concerns this Mod 15 proposal missed key planning choices at this stage such as choosing: -
- Noise mitigating acoustic materials that absorb noise for the large facade, instead Mod 15 chose further noise bouncing/amplifying solid materials - Accumulation of Noise
- To miss providing wall remediation and paint materials safety information for this application. Considering vast amounts of paint will be applied to a large facade in a residential area - Health
- To not take this opportunity to increase permanent noise monitoring equipment and CCTV during the illumination wiring of this proposal at ground level locations - Safety
- To not produce a biodiversity assessment report, looking at significant impacts additional external building lighting will have on the trees/plants habitat, thus urban wildlife the Star shares space with - Environment

Lighting / Illumination Zones
As a neighbouring resident, we appreciate that the Mod 15 illumination plan has been considered and is adjustable if necessary. We encourage future lighting / illumination mod designs for the Star buildings to be consistently respectful to residential neighbours and the environment by also being designed adjustable.

However, we object to Mod 15's lack of sufficient consultation with wildlife groups that work in the immediate Pyrmont area, on the impact of increased lighting and noise introduced and leaked into street plus park tree canopies. Pyrmont does have a rich native urban wildlife population which needs protection.

Integral timing for amenity, safety and the public benefit
At this time, a Mod 15 focus is lighting devices, logos design and signage. Mod 15 is an excellent opportunity to increase The Star’s contribution to the community by extending new electrical works, to include increasing building perimeter installation of CCTV and permanent noise monitoring equipment at ground level locations (streetscape).

Good design future planning does not address today’s problems, it also plans for the future.

As the Star grows, by intention the patrons, staff and local residents’ numbers will also increase. So does the need/ opportunity to passively reduce ‘unwanted issues’ and/or provide data, plus footage to the Police, NSW Health, City of Sydney Council/ as needed.
Assessment and granting consent for this proposal and future proposals on this site, must ensure the proponent is positively impacting the community’s safety and wellbeing it sits within.

The Star’s commitment to act on improving the amenity and safety of the community is ongoing. Therefore, the streetscape design and smart technology of a State Significant site (SSs), Mod 15 and future Star design changes needs to ensure at planning and proposal stage that this SSS sets the highest standard of support for its local community safety and wellbeing.

Great direction will influence the way future NSW wide SSs’s and the construction industry at large performs in the future.

Other Modifications
We would like to express our appreciation for the proposed improvements to the Edward Street and Union Street pedestrian entrance. The area has been a slipping hazard on wet days and the proposed new glazed awning should minimise this.

Materiality
The Star Mod 15 has proposed continuing the facade materials/treatments, finishes that are primarily hard surfaces: stainless steel, timber look battens (metal) and concrete. The Sydney Harbour Casino’s choice of hard surface building materials of 25 years ago left living neighbours (past and current) with ongoing direct and negative noise impacts 24/7. Noise mitigation materials have improved, the Star’s Mod 15 and future Star site changes, can do better and take environmental impact accountability now.

We call for this panel of assessors to adopt the principles of good design and direct the Star to substantially change its choice of surface façade treatments (material choices), that amplify noise bounce. Instead encourage the Star to choose at this critical point in time to replace and or cover noise bouncing external hard surfaces (stainless steel, timber look battens (metal) and concrete), with noise absorbent materials (acoustic panelling and timbers). With the goal to dampen/ mitigate noise for direct sensitive residential neighbours of this building. In turn, set a SSs external material benchmark for other State wide significant builds of the future, in mixed zoned to follow.

Or on balance, will the consenting authority have the Star add to Mod 15, additional works - By way of installation/fitting out the walls that follow the driveway off Jones Bay Road into the porte-cochere and the external Star walls alongside the Jones Bay Road taxi zone, with sound absorbing acoustic panels please?

Painting – Façade Paint Refresh ‘Item: Building Paint. Description: Keim Mineral Paint or Similar. Finish: Off white TBC.
Mod 15 painting proposal covers expansive areas of building publicly seen façade. However, in its current form this proposal lacks details that identify a final paint product or final colour choice and omits a paint application method at a NSW Planning and Public Spaces assessment stage.

As such, without final choices at a proposal stage, how can the assessors approve a Mod that has not provided a painting procedure (spray/roller), painting management report, safety data sheets. And a risk management plan showing planned hazard control measures of chemical solvents airborne in a residential area with active parks, popular harbour, tree canopy streets and a strong urban wildlife population. This degree of environmental planning and assessment plus community/visitor and workers consideration for health is concerningly absent.

Painting – Façade Pallet, Visual impact
The Star is seen from considerable distance currently, should the Star’s new builds in the future look anything like One Central Park, Chippendale (we can only hope) then the exterior paint colour of the expansive façade of the Star Grand Residences and Hotel needs to integrate with the future Star facade composition (including external noise mitigating timbers and plantings).

Colour contributes to the locality through a design choice that considers form, scale, and landscaping. Design changes and responds with our surrounding environment. Green is strongly resonating with commercial paint companies (increased demand) since 2020/COVID, with organic, less- saturated shades such as sage, moss and olive gaining more popularity than traditional greys and off whites for exterior paint choices.

This move to more earthy, natural hues, greens reminiscent of nature, foliage, and the outdoors. It's very much about reconnecting with nature and is restorative in uncertain times. There are numerous psychological associations with green, it can symbolise nature and the natural world, represent tranquillity, money, good luck, health, and environmental awareness. Feng Shui claims that green eases absent-mindedness, nervousness, and rudeness. An example of an ageless, and stylish stand out colour choice google street view the 163 Kent Street, Millers Point building from all angles, sun and shade.

As planning authorities look to the PPPS, the 10 Directions, the List of Directions issued by the Minister for Planning, The place priorities for the Darling Island Sub-Precinct, The Framework for Key Sites, the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and the Principles of Good Design moving forward, this SSs Star, Mod 15 preludes significant new modifications and builds. The proposed Mod 15 neutral paint palette façade is bland and lacks inspiration as a backdrop. We hope off-white will (TBC) be improved on for design excellence.

Thank you for your genuine consideration.

I strongly object to MOD 15 Internal and external design changes on the grounds that the impact of increased lighting and noise introduced directly and indirectly through leakage into tree canopies will have a dire impact on the urban native wildlife living in and making use of the trees for food. The trees in Jones Bay Road, Pirrama Road and Pyrmont Street have a rich native urban wildlife population that are struggling to survive, some of which are listed as vulnerable.

Currently and historically a number of native wildlife deaths have been caused by the reflection of Star's windows with existing lighting, adding more lighting will only exacerbate the situation. Wildlife see the reflection of trees and try to fly into them in the case of birds or jump in the case of mammals. Often the result being death from impact or fall onto the road below and are run over by the Star shuttle buses. Photographic evidence can be supplied if required.

Visitors and residents come to Pyrmont not only to visit the Casino but come with their children and families to enjoy the Parks and wildlife. Every tree is a potential roosting or nesting site for wildlife.

Adding increased lighting and noise to trees surrounds at any level will decrease wildlife or at worst case eliminate it.

I believe the original impact assessment is no longer valid as it does not take into account the wildlife currently living in the trees and those that make use of them during breeding seasons. There is no mention in fact anywhere of animals or wildlife. I have studied the ecology and wildlife in the Pyrmont area for numbers of years. I am familiar with the birds and mammals located in most of Pyrmont, especially around the casino.

Trees in Jones Bay Road, Pirrama Road are corridors both into and out of Pyrmont for Adult wildlife and a nursery for outgoing. In breeding seasons one tree could contain 50 or more native species.

The trees in Jones Bay Road, Pirrama Road some of which were previously mentioned in /star-casino-site-mp-08-0098-mod-13/referral-from-department-of-planning-industry-and-environment/assessment-report.pdf for removal are of great value and extremely significant to the survival of the local wildlife In Pyrmont.

star-casino-site-mp-08-0098-mod-13/referral-from-department-of-planning-industry-and-environment/assessment-report.pdf included the removal 24 existing trees which have an established and living wildlife with Sydney Red Gums. This clearly illustrates the lack of understanding, once the trees are removed the wildlife is obviously removed as well. The new replacement trees take time to grow which means that generations of wildlife are gone. Waiting for new trees to grow and hoping that new wildlife come in 20 to 30 years when the trees grow is not realistic. It might sound warm and fuzzy but using a credit system to replace a tree with another might work for carbon but the native animals living in the trees should not be discounted in this manner and traded as if they are commodities on the stock exchange.

The trees at Pirrama road are a dark breeding and nursery area that feed the parks around Pyrmont and further.

Adding further lighting and noise along with street awnings which are tree level in height will severely impact native wild life, for this and all the outlined reasons above I strongly object to this expansive project.

Please find attached TfNSW response.

Please see attached letter