International design competition launched for Sydney’s newest waterfront suburb
Media Release /Thursday, 2 July 2026
The Minns Labor Government is launching an international design competition to help shape the future of Sydney’s newest suburb, Bays West.
Led by the Bays West Delivery Authority in partnership with the Government Architect NSW, the competition will invite design teams from around the world to define the look, feel and character of two key areas of the precinct – the White Bay Power Station Precinct and Glebe Island.
Bays West spans White Bay, Glebe Island, Rozelle Bay, the White Bay Power Station Precinct and Rozelle Rail Yards. The government’s vision is to transform the area into a vibrant new residential, entertainment and public waterfront precinct.
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The Bays West precinct will include up to 8,500 homes, including at least 10 per cent affordable and essential worker homes, and public spaces for recreation. The precinct will combine new housing with public open space, opening public access to the waterfront for the first time in more than 100 years, while retaining important deep-water facilities to support Sydney’s working harbour.
The International Design Competition
The Design Competition will run in two stages: the first as an invitation for global Expressions of Interest before shifting to a second paid invitation-only stage.
A panel of renowned local and international design, infrastructure and development professionals chaired by the Government Architect NSW, will assess submissions and provide recommendations across all stages of the competition, for final decision by the NSW Government.
The Design Competition welcomes all Australian and international design industry professionals including architects, urbanists, landscape architects, planners, sustainability specialists and ecologists.
The competition aims to identify an overall urban framework for the precinct, including street structure, the location and type of open spaces, and the location and height of
buildings, with the successful design team to play an ongoing role in the development of the area.
By unlocking Bays West, the Minns Labor Government is delivering new homes in the right places — close to opportunity, transport and public space — while preserving Sydney Harbour as both a working and living harbour.
For more information on the competition and entry details, go to http://nsw.gov.au/bays-west-design-competition.
Minister for Planning and Public Space Paul Scully said:
“This is the start of the next chapter for Bays West and the International Design competition will make sure we get this transformation right.
“We’re calling for design teams across the globe to help shape the delivery of thousands of new homes and great new public spaces on the shores of Sydney Harbour.”
Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:
“This is an exciting moment for a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a new suburb on the city’s edge and open up the Harbour foreshore to the public.
“We’re setting the bar for design excellence from the outset, inviting leading homegrown and international designers to bring their best ideas forward.
“This competition will shape the look and feel of a new residential and recreational precinct at Bays West, a place rich in maritime, industrial and natural heritage, with deep Aboriginal cultural connections all of which will inspire its future design.
“We’re looking for bold ideas, real innovation and strong sustainability outcomes and we’re committed to unlocking the full potential of this extraordinary Sydney waterfront.”
NSW Government Architect Abbie Galvin said:
“The Bays West International Design Competition is a powerful way to help unlock creative ideas and realise the full potential of the Bays West renewal area by inviting a range of insights and expertise from local and international designers.
“The successful submission will deliver a design led urban framework accommodating the desired number of homes and great open spaces, informed by great ideas on how to regenerate this industrial area to become an urban place for people, nature and connection.”
