The Cooks River Alliance (the Alliance) calls on the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) to secure stronger environmental safeguards, public access outcomes and river rehabilitation commitments before granting approval for the proposed Kogarah Redevelopment Project (formerly known as Cooks Cove).
The $2.6 billion proposal would transform the former Kogarah Golf Club site into a major logistics and mixed-use precinct comprising up to 340,000 square metres of floorspace across five building blocks, with heights of up to 70 metres on land directly adjoining the Cooks River.
While we acknowledge the strategic importance of employment-generating development near Sydney Airport, it says development of this scale must deliver meaningful benefits for the Cooks River and the communities who rely on it.
Our question is not whether development should occur, but whether this proposal delivers an appropriate outcome for one of Sydney’s most important urban waterways,” – Cooks River Alliance Chair Clare Raffan
The Alliance’s formal position is that the Department should not approve the concept proposal and Stage 1 works as currently presented unless key public-interest outcomes are secured as binding requirements of any consent.
The Alliance’s Key Asks
The Cooks River Alliance is calling for the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure to require:
- A 4% developer contribution dedicated to the rehabilitation, restoration and long-term management of the Cooks River.
- A minimum 40-metre riparian corridor from the high water mark along the full length of the river frontage, incorporating climate-resilience measures and planning for tidal inundation. (4th order tidal streams recommendation)
- A fully naturalised riverbank along the development frontage, supported by measures to address future tidal impacts.
- Reorient the public space (‘Pemulwuy Park’) towards the riverfront to provide better connection to the wider riparian corridor.
- Early delivery of public access and open space, rather than deferring these outcomes to the final stages of development.
Climate Resilience Concerns
The Alliance is particularly concerned about the proposal’s limited consideration of tidal inundation risk in the lower Cooks River catchment. According to the Alliance, the Environmental Impact Statement does not adequately address tidal inundation despite extensive data and analysis being developed through the Cooks River Coastal Management Program (CMP).
The CMP is being developed collaboratively by local and state government agencies, identifying tidal inundation as a known and increasing risk in this section of the river. The Alliance says the project documentation does not provide a clear strategy for managing these future impacts. The proponent of this proposal has not engaged with the Alliance regarding the inundation data obtained in the Cooks River CMP.
The proposed site is located within a flood-prone area and will face increasing flood risks as climate change intensifies. Decisions made today will shape Sydney for generations, and we should ensure they are based on long-term public benefit rather than short-term convenience” – Bayside Deputy Mayor Heidi Douglas
The proponent of this proposal (John Boyd Properties) has not engaged with the Alliance regarding the inundation data obtained in the Cooks River CMP. The CMP is being developed collaboratively by local and state government agencies, identifying tidal inundation as a known and increasing risk in this section of the river. The proposal does not provide a clear strategy for managing these future impacts.
Community Engagement?
The project documentation indicates stakeholder engagement included 12 survey responses and two drop-in sessions attended by a total of 22 people in 2025. The Cooks River Catchment is home to more than 500,000+ residents and that the Cooks River Alliance itself was not identified as a stakeholder despite its leading role in coordinating river management across the catchment. Bayside Council is one of 4 councils and Sydney Water, that make up the Cooks River Alliance.
With such low engagement, we question whether this is this effective engagement as outlined in the State Significance Engagement Guidelines.
“This project will shape the future of the lower Cooks River for generations. The community deserves a genuine opportunity to influence outcomes for the river and surrounding public space” – Clare Raffan.
The proposal is open for exhibition until 7 July. We encourage everyone with an interest in the rehabilitation of the Cooks River Catchment to submit a proposal. Submissions can be made via the NSW Planning Portal here: https://tinyurl.com/yh8rx5mv
Public Amenity
We note that in the current proposal, the public greenspace allowance (Pemulwuy Park), is located on the western side of the site, behind the proposed buildings. We question why the public open space is so poorly integrated with the public access along the foreshore. All other precinct plans in the Cooks River Catchment, that have access to the foreshore, emphasise the need to integrate and connect public space to the river. The idea is to encourage activities along the river foreshore. The current design proposal fails to do this.
The planning documents describe this site as being of “low importance”. That assessment fundamentally undervalues one of the last remaining publicly accessible blue-green spaces in southern Sydney with genuine potential for ecological restoration. – Bayside Deputy Mayor Heidi Douglas
Further Questions
On 01 July, Alliance Chair Clare Raffan wrote to Member for Rockdale, the Hon. Stephen Kamper to request why the project has been given state significance. Read the letter here. On 02 July, the Minster’s office provided a statement saying, “I wish to advise that I have raised your concerns with the Honourable Paul Scully MP…” Read the letter here.
The proposal is open for exhibition until 7 July. Submissions can be made via the NSW Planning Portal here: https://tinyurl.com/yh8rx5mv