CONTAMI-NATURE

I would like to acknowledge the D’harawal, Dharug, Eora, Gaimaragal, Gundangara and Guringai people among others that are the Traditional Custodians of this land. I would also like to pay my respects to the Elders both past and present and extend that respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who are present here today

How can the expansion of existing vegetation activate a deeper connection to the site and its systems?

How the human experience can be enhanced when the Casuarina, Cenchrus, and native tree species are prioritised.

Fundamental Asset| Location in Sydney Ria

Borders the Eastern edge of the Inner West, with Opportunities to design large open space, residential buildings, and a prime views of the Sydney Skyline

Fundamental Asset | Views of the skyline

Fundamental Asset | Development scenes

Analysis | Contaminated Landscape

Contaminated Harbour

A heavily disturbed terrain lies beneath the concrete capping, where the tidal fluctuations in the adjacent deep harbour, pull out the toxins and spread it around Sydney Harbour

Fundamental Asset 2 | Successional Ecology

Objective | Vegetation cover

October 2021

Expanding the vegetation

There are seven ecologies existing in the site. Some vary from stages in successional growth, whereas some are remnants of a Casuarina forest 15% vegetation cover

Connection to the Cause | World and State Government Goals

Sydney Green Grid 2030

The Bays Precinct is apart of the Central District zone

- Increased Foreshore Access

- Public Open Space

- Increase tree canopy cover

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030

Goals 15 Life on Land

- End Desertification and restore degraded land 2030

- Conserve and restore terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

How can the expansion of existing vegetation activate a deeper connection to the site and its systems?

Casuarina Forest

Cenchrus Grass Meadow

Native Tree Grass and Shrub Lichen Grass mix

Exotic Species

Kikuyu Swale Grass

Fundamental Asset | Geography

North Eastern Aspect

The landscape was quarried in the early 1930’s to create a flat landscape that would allow for the movement of trains, trucks, and small cars. Now all that is left is a lacerated sandstone cliff. - Accentuate the views

Analysis| Water Pooling

Water will flow to the Power Station

During the event of a 100 year flood, it is estimated by ArcGIS, that water will pool up to 1m around the power station. The expansion of the surviving habitats will act as a sponge to soak up the surface runoff. Topographical changes must be designed.

Fundamental Assets | Study Area

Prospect in the site and on the horizon

+ Create a scene when looking at the harbour bridge

+ Frame the prospects in the site with casuarina forrest

Existing Vegetation

+ Soften edge with Cencrus meadow

+ Avenues to direct views and provide shelter from extreme weather

SydneyHarbourBridge

Contaminated Soil

- Will impact plant growth and succession of species

Geography

+ Protection from strong southerly winds

+ Flat landscape allows for easy sight lines

Sun Path

+ Silhouette of city in the morning and power station in the afternoon

- Will be too hot in summer months to relax around the power station

Adjacency to surrounding Green Corridors

+ Johnston Creek (Water flora, fauna)

+ Callan Park (Casuarina forest

+ White Creek Park (Cenchrus)

+ The Greenway (Bandiccot, Birds)

Meadow Foreshore

Maintain sight lines with low planting

Casuarina Frames

Celebrate views of sydney skyline from within the White Bay area

Native Stroll

Proactive adaption of the landscpae to extreme climatic events

Stage 1 |

Stage 2

Cenchrus

Original condition of the Cenchrus Meadow

The grasses have succeeded in the cracks of the concrete

Cenchrus edge | Stage 1 - Prepare

Clearing obstructions

The fences and bollards have been relocated to Glebe Island where they will be assembled into gabion walls and other reconstructed designs

Phytoremediation Planting | Powerplant Precedent

Phytoremediation Planting

Cenchrus

Harvesting

Once a year the phytodegredation and phytoextraction plants must be harvested. Disposal and use of the harvested material will be revised in this stage. New Technology may provide an alternative use

Precendent | Meadow

Resoring ecosystems in a highly modified and changing landscape. The meadow design creates seperation from the park to the busy Cleavland St.

Designing with long views

Design

Cenchrus

Beginning of the end

Allow for phytovolatisation, phytostabilisation, and Rhizofiltration plants to decompose into soil, Plant Cenchrus along foreshore edge.

Growth

1.5m in height, 1.2m in width

The seeds will self germinate every year and will allow the plant to expand into ongoing cracks in the concrete.

Cenchrus edge | Feeling the wind

Aspect

With the north easterly aspect the site welcomes warm north Easterly in the summer time. The waving of the grass softens the Industrial edge that resides below

Original condition of the Concrete Capping

Open space with over exposure to the sun, wind, and rain

Remove the fences All fences will be removed from the design area and used to create gabion walls

Creating the path

The repurpose of left over bricks will be used as a path to move through the evolving landscape a representation of its Contaminated past

00.512.55m

Removing the concrete

Preparing the landscape for the next stage of phytoremediation

Phytoremediation Planting

Opening of the site to people.

Phytoremediation Planting

Extraction

Learning from Sue Anne Ware’s Power Plants project has allowed me to understand a site specific approach to remediating the soil

Design

Native Stroll | Stage 3 - The Grand Expansion

Community planting

Removal of all phytoremediation plants where further design testing must be taken place. Tube stock planting will be used to allow the plants to adapt to the landscape and evolve to the conditions

Native Stroll | Stage 3 - The Grand Expansion

10 years

Opening of the site for night time use, erecting of light poles to Provide key line of sight to entry and exit points.

Native Stroll | Stage 3 - The Grand Expansion

Native planting maturity

The 70% PFC will mask the White Bay Power Station, and Sydney Harbour Bridge on the horizon when it was once visible. The Fragmented view will build suspension when navigating along the path

Night time

The soft ambient lighting faces the path to not disturb night time fauna. It will be turned off at 10pm in summer and 9pm in winter

Casuarina Frames | Stage 1 - Prepare the Site

Existing condition of the site 2

Casuarina Frames | Stage 1 - Prepare the Site

Construction of the Metro

The metro will not open its doors until the commencement of stage 2. The cleaning of contaminated soils will make the entry and exit from the metro capture the transformation of the site through time.

Casuarina Frames | Stage 2 -

Opening of the Metro

Signifying the expansion of the study area into the western Suburbs via public transport, The Bays Metro station open into a view of the Power Station, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and transformative Landscape

Phytoremediation Planting

Clearing the soil of the highly toxic fly ash. The landscape will be deemed safe for permenant residents and transition into stage 3

Precendent | Contaminated Headland Regenerated through time

Balmain, Sydney, AUS

Effective Re-purpose of on-site materials to create more site specificity. The weathering of materials over time has created a seemless flow into the park.

The disposal of the herbaceous phytoremediating plants and integration of Casuarina tress.

10 years later

Greater use of the Metro to access the Bays Precinct. Completion of development around Glebe Island and the Balmain apron

Increase sound barrier and protection from southerly Increased shade around the Metro

Casuarina

Night

The Metro will become an illuminated prospect in the landscape at night time. Security and large numbers of people will assist with surveillance and viability

Ecological Connection |

Strong Ecological Links