MASTERPLANNING URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Client: JBA Planning / Housing NSW
Project: Masterplan
“Mixed Private and Social Housing Masterplan”
As part of the then Government’s initiative to recycle government assets and improve social housing estates, JBA Planning (and Diversi) were engaged to develop a site masterplan for the Wentworthville housing estate. The estate is located on the corner of Old Windsor Road and Cumberland Hwy Wentworthville.
The site comprises two sites either side of the Cumberland Hwy and with a combined area of about 12ha. The site currently comprises existing low density houses and townhouses typically in the 1970’s Radburn style estate with poor access and passive security vistas.
The masterplan involved assessing site constraints and opportunities and evaluation of several options. Diversi were engaged to provide engineering design and advice on earthworks, roads, stormwater management, environmental issues and site utility services. The site had a number of constraints such as the site being bisected by a major road with generally one road into and out of each precinct area.
Other challenges included flooding along the southern boundary from Toongabbie Creek. A stormwater overland flow path also traversed the northern part of the site but was impeded by noise walls along the Highway. Key to the site planning was the assessment and design of stormwater flood mapping and detention basins which Diversi undertook modelling and preliminary design to determine spatial requirements for the masterplan.
Based on a collaborative team approach the adopted masterplan yielded over 550 dwellings with a mix of apartments and low density housing including open space/parks and stormwater infrastructure. Equally important, the masterplan provided a mix of social and private ownership opportunities to meet the department’s goal of retaining 30% of the dwellings as social housing stock.