Written by A proposal to replace a dilapidated boatshed with public toilets and a boardwalk at McMahons Point, submitted under DA 410/2024, has ignited debate over heritage and civic priorities in one of Sydney’s most iconic harbourfront locations. The proposal seeks to demolish a derelict house at 1 Henry Lawson Avenue and transform the site into a $1.3 million precinct including a coffee kiosk, toilet block, kayak storage, picnic facilities, a viewing platform and extended pedestrian boardwalks. It follows the property’s compulsory acquisition by the NSW Government in 2021 and its transfer to the Council the following year, with the stated aim of opening the foreshore to the public and remedying safety risks posed by long-neglected structures. While few object to the demolition of the dilapidated boatshed or the rehabilitation of the historically significant boat cradle and slipway, linked to infamous 1930s boatbuilder Reginald Holmes and the Shark Arm Murder, the inclusion of new built elements has provoked more than 60 formal objections. The land, once earmarked for public open space by the former state government, sits within the 2.5-kilometre buffer zone established to protect the World Heritage-listed Sydney Opera House.
The council, for its part, defends the project as both necessary and restrained. It contends that the scheme will enhance public access, restore derelict heritage elements, and ultimately improve foreshore continuity from Blues Point to McMahons Point. The viewing platform, it says, will expand the public’s experience of the harbour without compromising its visual integrity. The Council further insures that consultation will continue. For many, the proximity of existing facilities renders the new construction both redundant and financially unjustifiable, especially amid broader council cost concerns like the North Sydney Pool upgrade, as referenced in our May Newsletter. The outcome of the application will rest with the North Sydney Local Planning Panel following an independent assessment.