Frequently asked questions

The site’s size (210ha) provides an opportunity for the master plan to directly benefit the Shire and its community. These include:

• Diversifying available housing types across the Shire

• Retaining and improving access to open space:

  • Retaining over 54% of the site to open space

  • Donating 22.4 hectares along Bate Bay donated to Council for public use and supported by a new surf club facility

• Protecting all wetlands on the site as well as significant planting of native vegetation and ongoing bush care

• Generating approximately 2,000 local jobs

• Contributing to the protection and celebration of local Aboriginal culture and heritage through the creation of a cultural tourism destination

• Upgrading the roads and public transport infrastructure around the site (widening Captain Cook Drive, dedicated bus service & upgrading intersections)

Sand extraction at the site is nearing the end of operations and we have been progressively rehabilitating the site with uncontaminated, natural materials (clay, sandstone and shale for example). This has included stabilising the frontal sand dune, removing harmful weeds, and planting local species to protect the site from coastal erosion.

Through this rehabilitation, we have ensured that the site is safe, contamination free, and suitable for all future uses.

We have been planning for the future of the site for many years.

Late 1980s - The site was approved for a major resort and residential development (Sydney Destination Resort) however this didn’t proceed.

2016 - Informed by the approved land uses from the 1980s proposal, we lodged a very high-level proposal with now NSW DPHI

2017 - DPHI instructed us to conduct a broad suite of expert technical reports and to submit a proof of concept master plan to demonstrate what development was possible on the site.

2020 - Following several years of detailed expert study across an extensive range of subject areas, we lodged a proposal with DPHI to amend the State Environmental Planning Policy (Kurnell Peninsula) 1989 (SEPP) to deliver our vision.

Having acknowledged the strategic merit of the proposal, DPHI then requested that we work with council to further develop details of the site-specific merits of the proposal.

2022 - At this direction, we began preparing the current proposal and working closely with Council, DPHI and the Government Architect of NSW. This included setting up a Project Working Group (PWG) with these groups.

This group met regularly to:

• Monitor the ongoing progress of the project and ensuring achievement of key milestones

• Ensure government agency input is appropriately incorporated into the project

• Respond to any issues that may arise from the various government agencies

March 2023 - We lodged a Scoping Proposal to Council that provided information on the work done to date and what was expected to be done in the future.

December 2023 - We lodged the Planning Proposal to Council, incorporating the feedback we received from Council, the state government and agencies and other stakeholders into our plans.

September 2024 – The Planning Proposal was approved to progress as a SARP under the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure’s State Significant Rezoning Policy.

May 2025 – We lodged our amended proposal under the SARP pathway

The Bidhiinja Beach Master Plan has been informed by feedback received from Council, DPHI, the Government Architect, state agencies including DECEEW and Transport for NSW as well as outcomes from consultation with the local Aboriginal community.

The proposal was referred to DPHI for further assessment and it was determined that it would be assessed and finalised under the SARP.

Some key changes from the earlier proposals include:

• More focus on a diversity of housing supply

• Complimentary mix of land uses that facilitate employment, tourism and cultural practices alongside the residential elements

• Nature Positive approach, regenerating and protecting ecological systems long lost to the peninsula

• Higher percentage of open space and more detail on community facilities

• A focus Aboriginal cultural storytelling and knowledge sharing and the importance of Kurnell in Australia’s history

• Upgrades to local infrastructure (including widening Captain Cook Drive) to minimise impacts on the surrounding areas

The proposal was moved to the State Assessed Rezoning Proposal (SARP) pathway in September 2024.

The master plan provides 4,334 new dwellings for the community including:

• 2,806 high rise apartments

• 525medium density apartments

• 275 duplexes / townhouses

• 728 seniors housing dwellings

  • 30 independent living units (ILUs) for First Nations elders owned and managed by the Local Aboriginal Land Council

  • 573 Independent Living Units

  • 125 beds within a residential aged care facility

These will include 240 apartments designated for affordable housing and managed by an accredited Community Housing Provider.

Building on our tradition of contributing to our community. The master plan delivers a range of community benefits for the Sutherland Shire, these include:

• 54% of the site dedicated to open space including:

  • Over 22 hectares of beachfront along Bate Bay and Boat Harbour.

  • Over 9 hectares of local and district parks.

• Diverse and affordable housing options coupled with a lively public plaza encourages Kurnell residents and visitors to live, work and play in place

• A new surf club facility to ensure that the community and visitors can safely enjoy and benefit from the newly accessible public beach

• An economic boost to the Sutherland Shire through providing local jobs and a thriving tourism industry

• Upgraded road and public transport infrastructure, enhancing the Kurnell community’s access to the Sutherland Shire and Greater Sydney region.

The master plan will provide around 2,000 ongoing direct and indirect local jobs across a number of key sectors including:

• Tourism - 880 jobs

• Aged Care - 648 jobs

• Cultural - 24 jobs

• Retail - 393 jobs

• Non-retail / other - 32 jobs

An Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment Report (ACHAR) has been prepared to identify the Aboriginal archaeological and cultural values of the project area, assess the potential impacts on the identified Aboriginal sites and cultural values, and identify any future cultural heritage management requirements.

As part of this, we conducted extensive analysis of academic materials related to the site area, determining that only one validated archaeological site, known as the McCue Midden, remains within the site.

The master plan has been designed to protect and enhance the ongoing viability and value of the midden. This will be achieved by:

• • Implementing low-impact construction methods

  • Locating development areas away from the midden and sections of the site identified as having potential for Aboriginal archaeological and/or cultural sites

  • Establishing a cultural trail that offers educational and interpretative experiences for both visitors and residents

  • These mitigation measures were also established through extensive consultation with local Aboriginal elders and knowledge holders

Country has been one of the pillars of the proposal and stories are entwined within all elements of the master plan.

In December 2022, Yerrabingin was engaged to lead First Nation’s consultation with local elders, the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council and the Gamay Rangers. This included:

• A Walk on Country.

• Design Jam.

• Community engagement feedback session.

From this consultation, Yerrabingin curated a Connecting with Country Framework which helped guide the creation of various spaces to recognise the site’s rich Aboriginal cultural heritage including:

• A cultural trail to enable social enterprise opportunities for cultural tourism.

• An arrivals precinct to provide the opportunity for visitors to learn about the area’s deep Aboriginal heritage.

• A cultural Hub to facilitate learning and co-ordinate Indigenous enterprise opportunities.

• A nursery providing a key area to share knowledge of native plants.

The master plan includes four three precincts:

• A vibrant town centre and mixed-use precinct (in the western portion of the site extending towards Bate Bay and bound by Lindum Road and Captain Cook Drive)

• A mixed density park-side precinct (in the centre of the site, around Bate Bay)

• A lower scale tourism precinct (in the eastern portion of the site, around Boat Harbour)

• These precincts will include buildings between 2-12 storeys and will be connected by walkways, cycleways and internal roads.

The 6,885sqm town centre will act as the arrivals precinct off Captain Cook Drive and include:

• The higher-rise residential apartment buildings

• A luxury hotel and waterfront hotel

• A full line supermarket

• A town square with outdoor dining

• Ground floor retail along the main street and the high street

The master plan delivers four hotels with a capacity for 535 rooms and 52 single storey cabins. This includes:

• A town centre luxury hotel with city, bay and beach views

• A beachside tourist hotel

• Two separate hotels and 52 cabins within the Boat Harbour precinct

Supporting the hotels are a range of restaurants, cafes and bars, tourist related retail and services.

Since 2016, multiple technical studies have been undertaken to inform the master plan.

These studies have identified potential impacts and suggested mitigation measures that can be implemented if the proposal is approved.

These studies have assessed:

• Environmental constraints, ecology, biodiversity, bushfire and coastal impacts and management strategies

• Traffic and transport

• Air quality

• Noise and vibration

• Landscaping and open space

• Economic and social impacts

• Visual impact

• Utilities and infrastructure servicing

• Stormwater and flood risk

• Aboriginal cultural heritage

A Transport Strategy and Impact Assessment (‘the Transport Strategy’) which includes an Active Transport Strategy, Bus Strategy, and Green Travel Plan has been prepared for the proposal.

This Transport Strategy aims to enhance accessibility to, from, and within the site while evaluating the impacts on the surrounding transport network by implementing design considerations and initiatives including:

• Enhance the ability for people to walk, cycle, or use public transportation to, from, and within the site

• Reduce the need for people to rely on private vehicles to get to, from and within the site

• Create places for people and ensure people and goods can move safely through the site (prioritising in order, walking, cycling, public transport, freight and general traffic)

To ensure this, we are proposing to fund or contribute funding to the following transport infrastructure upgrades:

• Widening of Captain Cook Drive will ensure that vehicular, public, and active transport can sufficiently access the site without causing adverse traffic impacts on the local road network

• Monetary contribution towards the upgrade of intersections in the Sutherland Shire that have been identified as potential issues as traffic numbers increase in the coming years

• Providing a temporary bus shuttle service between the site and a nearby train station to provide an accessible and convenient public transport connection.

  • This service will operate until expected resident numbers could justify a regular bus service under Transport for NSW (TfNSW)

• Advocating for future rerouting of the route 987 bus service and increasing its frequency to improve access to wider public transport networks and reduce existing journey time

DPHI placed the proposal on Public Exhibition providing an opportunity for the community, which concluded on 11 May 2026

Should the DPHI approve the rezoning, any resultant development would be the subject of future development applications.

We anticipate that The DPHI will make a decision on the planning proposal in late 2026.

If approved, construction could be expected to start in 2027.

Subject to rezoning and future development applications for the site, redevelopment will be progressively delivered over a period of approximately 20 years.

For the last seven years, we have been engaging with various Government stakeholders to understand how a transformation of the site can positively benefit its community, the Shire and Greater Sydney.

Throughout 2023, we also consulted with other stakeholders including:

• Council: to ensure the proposal aligns with Council and community expectations and needs for this area

• State Agencies: to understand what technical analysis was required to support the proposal

• State Design Review Panel (State Government Architect): to independently review the master plan’s design quality and excellence

• Aboriginal community: to understand how the proposal can positively contribute to the Aboriginal community in line with the Designing with Country Framework

In May 2025, we lodged our Planning Proposal under the State Assessed Rezoning Proposal (SARP) pathway.

As with all planning proposals, this was the first step in a long process to achieve our vision for Bidhiinja Beach.

The planning proposal has been endorsed by DPHI, and was on Public Exhibition until 11 May 2026. The community was able to view the proposal and make formal submissions until then. The Public Exhibition is now closed, but the public can still view the proposal via the following link: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/ppr/kurnell-peninsula

Should the DPHI approve the rezoning, any resultant development would be the subject of future development applications.