Yesterday it was announced that the proposal for the Barangaroo precinct, Sydney’s most talked about development, had been revised as a result of public pressure.

 “After extensive negotiation and listening to the community Lend Lease has delivered substantial changes,” said John Tabart, CEO of the Barangaroo Delivery Authority.

“Over the past 7 months the Authority has worked with the company to ensure Lend Lease addressed a set of principles and objectives put forward by the Authority.”

Among the changes to the development, the “Big Red” hotel– the proposed landmark 5 star hotel jutting out on a pier – has been scaled down from a towering 213 to 159 metres.

The controversial pier, which had been planned to jut out into the harbour, also has been reduced from 150 metres to less than 90.

In a response to the criticism from the public, one of the four office towers proposed has been removed, with the aim of improving the views of the harbour from the city.

The previosuly planned commercial space has been reduced, and additional residential space has been incorporated into the design.

While the reduction in size of the project might have appeased some critics, John McInerney told the SMH that the method was a tried and tested technique, often referred to as a ‘red herring’ in the industry.

“It’s the old Lend Lease technique: you put in a really outrageous application and reduce it to the point where people say: ‘Thank God we’ve got them to compromise’, without realising that’s where they wanted you in the beginning,” the former manager of planning for Sydney and councillor on the City of Sydney told the SMH.

Barangaroo
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