4.15 Lilyfield
Part 4 – Place Specific Controls
Lilyfield is located on the lands of the Gadigal and the Wangal. Gadigal lands extend south of Sydney Harbour (Port Jackson) stretching from South Head to Petersham with part of the southern boundary lying on the Cooks River. On the western border are the lands of the Wangal, which extends along the southern shore of the Parramatta River, stretching from Iron Cove toward Parramatta.
Country in Lilyfield consists of clay, silt, shell, very fine- to fine-grained lithic-quartz (carbonate) sand (fluvially- and/or marine-deposited), with Hawkesbury Sandstone close to the water and Ashfield Shale toward the south. Most of the saline and forested wetland have now been filled by humans, now determined as anthropogenic materials geologically. This part of Country borders the Parramatta River estuary, the main tributary of Sydney Harbour. The topography in Lilyfield close to the water is characterised by rolling to very steep hills. The rest of the area is a combination of gently undulating rises and rolling low hills. The original ecological communities present in Lilyfield are Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest, Sydney Coastal Sandstone Foreshores Forest, Grey Mangrove-Mangrove and Estuarine Swamp Oak Twig-rush Forest. Country in Lilyfield has been used for gathering resources, travelling the waterways, fishing, seasonal movement and traditional land management for thousands of generations of Aboriginal Peoples.
This Country continues to be used by First Nations Peoples with spaces such as Rozelle Parklands which falls across Lilyfield and Rozelle, which features bush trails, landscaped gardens and Aboriginal spaces including a Corroboree Circle and Yarning Circle. In the 2021 Census, the Australian Bureau of Statistics published that 1.6% of the population of Lilyfield identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
Lilyfield has a mix of low to medium-density housing, heritage conservation areas, and green spaces. The suburb is well connected by the Inner West Light Rail and major roads, supporting sustainable transport and reducing car dependence.
The main community hub is around Orange Grove Plaza and Orange Grove School. The suburb is divided by the City West Link and the light rail line, with Callan Park dominating the northern area.
Its urban fabric reflects a mix of historic workers' cottages and contemporary infill developments, carefully integrated to preserve neighbourhood character. Lilyfield displays an overwhelmingly small scale, domestic quality in its residential streets. There is a prevailing grid pattern of streets which are perpendicular to the contour, and which follow the slope down to Lilyfield Road.
Adaptive reuse of former industrial sites provides opportunities for renewal while keeping community identity. Proximity to open spaces like Callan Park enhances liveability, supporting health, recreation, and sustainability goals in line with metropolitan planning strategies.
Lilyfield's desired future character balances heritage-sensitive growth with contemporary design that respects the established scale and traditional roof forms predominant in the area. This vision reinforces a low-scale "cottage" identity by retaining pre-1940 buildings and preserving the rhythmic "stepping" of dwellings on sloping streets. Strategic urban renewal in identified precincts complements this with adaptive reuse of industrial sites and considered lot amalgamation to ensure orderly redevelopment that maintains the suburb's unique identity while enabling appropriate and sensitive growth. Callan Park will continue to be a regionally significant public open space servicing the needs of the wider community.
Objectives
To integrate contemporary design with the historic streetscape, ensuring development enhances neighbourhood character, local identity, and community cohesion.
To maintain and enhance the distinctive character of heritage conservation areas within the neighbourhood.
To protect and improve open spaces to support high residential amenity, recreation, environmental sustainability, and overall liveability.
To enhance the open space and wetland environment of Whites Creek, and the significant vegetation in the Whites Creek Valley.
To enhance the open space and buildings of Callan Park, as a significant cultural, heritage and landscaped community asset.
Controls
Development, including land uses and urban design, is to enhance and achieve the desired future character of the neighbourhood while retaining elements that contribute to that character and meeting all relevant DCP requirements.
Maintain the area's character by ensuring development is consistent in architectural style, form, and materials, while allowing contemporary design that is clearly compatible with established scale, setbacks, and roof forms.
Reinforce the low-scale 'cottage' character of residential streets, including detached dwellings and traditional hipped and gabled roof forms.
Maintain the rhythm of streetscapes created by regular allotment sizes and the gradual stepping of dwellings on sloping streets.
Protect and enhance the vegetation corridor, including War Memorial Park, Ilka Street properties, and Whites Creek Valley, for its aesthetic and environmental value.
Retain and improve public views from streets, parks, and other open spaces, particularly towards the city.
Support neighbourhood centres and existing industrial areas through active frontages, appropriate servicing and access, fine-grain tenancies, and well-managed residential interfaces.
Set development adjacent to War Memorial Park back a minimum of 10 metres from the park boundary, measured to the nearest external wall (excluding decking and pergolas), and design frontages to positively address the park with passive surveillance and high-quality landscape.
Ensure development within or near Whites Creek Valley Park does not harm the wetland environment.
Ensure development within Callan Park protects heritage, cultural and landscape assets.
Site specific controls apply to the precincts identified in the following list and Figure 4.15.1 below.
- Ilka Street Precinct applies to the land marked as 'A'
- 36 Lonsdale Street and 64-70 Brenan Street, Lilyfield applies to the land marked as 'B'
Callan Park is governed by the Callan Park (Special Provisions) Act 2002. This law ensures the land stays in public ownership, keeps its existing character, and strictly controls how it can be used in the future. As well as Council controls, specific heritage protections apply under The Heritage Act 1977.
Under the Act:
- The site can only be used for health, community, or education purposes
- Community or education facilities are to operate on a not-for-profit basis
The Greater Sydney Parkland Authority is responsible for preparing the site's masterplan.
Objectives
To maintain the established character of Ilka Street by preserving its single-storey housing, street pattern, and shared green corridor, while allowing sensitive alterations and infill development.
Controls
Preserve and enhance the variety of single-storey houses and maintain the existing street pattern, scale, and character through appropriate alterations, additions, or infill development.
Retain and enhance the shared landscaped 'green corridor' at the rear of lots. Confine development to two building zones approximately 20 metres deep at the front and rear of each lot, leaving a minimum 20-metre-wide landscaped corridor between. Minor variations to zone depth may occur to respond to site characteristics and existing setbacks.
Apply the following setback requirements to buildings:
- a)Setback from Ilka Street: 3–5 metres.
- b)Setback from Moore Lane: minimum 3 metres.
- c)Elements such as verandahs, balconies, pergolas, awnings, bay windows and the like, may intrude up to 1.5 metres into the setback to provide visual relief to the buildings and reduce the appearance of their bulk.
Design fences to maintain the open character of Ilka Street and Moore Lane:
- a)Ilka Street: Use open-railed metal or timber fencing with a 50/50 open-to-solid ratio and a maximum height of 1.2 metres.
- b)Moore Lane: Use uniform fencing up to 2 metres high, with an open weave to support vine growth.
This section applies to 36 Lonsdale Street and 64-70 Brenan Street, Lilyfield being:
- Lots 2-4 DP 1257743
- Lots 1 and 2 DP 529451
- Lot 22 DP 977323
- Lot 1 DP 1057904
Objectives
To respond to the existing and future context, deliver high-quality amenity for residents, and apply sustainable design principles to reduce environmental impacts.
To achieve design excellence that integrates with local character, provides appropriate height and scale transitions, and uses durable, high-quality materials.
To maintain solar access, protect privacy, and minimise overlooking and overshadowing of neighbouring properties.
To provide landscaping, deep soil planting, and communal open space that enhance the streetscape, support tree canopy, and create visual buffers.
To ensure lot amalgamation supports orderly redevelopment for the intended uses and identified built form.
To deliver safe and efficient access, minimise car parking to encourage active and public transport, and provide basement servicing and waste facilities.
To reduce noise impacts from the City West Link and maintain a high level of visual and acoustic amenity within the precinct.
Controls
Layout
Amalgamate all existing lots into a single lot when redeveloping the site, in accordance with Figure 4.15.2.
Align building location and site layout with Figure 4.15.3 orienting buildings to Lonsdale and Russell Streets, providing landscaped buffers and communal open space, and including employment floor space near the Lonsdale/City West Link corner with appropriate public domain treatments.
Setbacks and Separation
Set all buildings, including basements and underground car parks, back at least 3 metres from:
- a)City West Link
- b)Lonsdale Street
- c)Russell Street
- d)Lot boundaries of dwelling houses fronting Lonsdale Street and Russell Street
Provide a 3 metre wide landscaped setback along the City West Link frontage that:
- a)Includes landscaping and kerbside treatment shown in Figure 4.15.3.
- b)Remains open to the public at all times for walking and cycling.
- c)Is legally registered on the property title as an easement or public right of way.
Relocate overhead power cables along City West Link underground and install street lighting that meets Council's public domain guidelines, subject to approval from Transport for NSW.
Note: If Transport for NSW does not approve undergrounding, set buildings back far enough from City West Link to ensure safe operation and maintenance of high-voltage cables.
Communal Open Space, Deep Soil Area, and Landscaping
Provide deep soil areas and landscape buffers in accordance with Figure 4.15.3 along:
- a)City West Link
- b)Lonsdale Street
- c)Russell Street
- d)The southern boundary adjacent to neighbouring low-density dwellings
Create communal open space areas generally as shown in Figure 4.15.3. Ensure topsoil above basement areas is deep enough for small trees and grass.
Built form, Height and Design
The maximum height of building is RL 33.2 (with a maximum of 5 storeys) at the City West Link and RL 30.7 to the top of building roof structure as shown in Figures 4.15.4 – 4.15.6.
The building is to have a two storey built form with a maximum ceiling height of:
- a)RL 24.7 adjacent to houses in Lonsdale Street
- b)RL 27.8 adjacent to houses in Russell Street
Integrate roof structures (such as plant and lift overruns) into the building design, ensuring they are screened from the street, and comply with maximum heights.
Design buildings to enhance streetscape, provide passive surveillance, and improve residential amenity by:
- a)Minimising blank walls and differentiating ground-floor treatment with architectural details, applying a tripartite base–middle–top composition where possible
- b)Using well-considered proportions and varied exterior finishes, including face brickwork, and integrating green walls and trellises. Upper levels facing City West Link Road are to achieve at least 35% green wall coverage
- c)Screening traffic noise in communal open space areas, for example by providing a slim building wing no higher than three storeys or an alternative noise screen along the City West Link frontage
Provide winter garden balconies in dwellings, as defined in the Apartment Design Guide, where required to address traffic noise.
Achieve a minimum 4-star Green Building Council rating, integrate water-sensitive urban design into communal open spaces, and maximise cross-through apartment layouts to improve ventilation and solar access.
Minimise residential uses at ground level along City West Link Road to address traffic noise and maximise amenity.
Disabled Access
Encourage all dwellings to meet the Platinum Level Universal Design standard to support accessibility and inclusion.
Parking Access and Waste
Provide all vehicular access from Lonsdale Street only, with entry and exit in a forward direction. Provide pedestrian access from Lonsdale Street and Russell Street.
Design basement areas to include waste storage and servicing areas so they are not visible from the street and can be accessed by vehicles contained wholly within the site. Minimise the visibility of garage doors from the public domain.
Before issuing any construction certificate or commencing preparatory works, demolition, or excavation, submit the following documentation to TfNSW for endorsement:
- a)Final geotechnical and structural reports/drawings, including potential impacts on the Inner West Light Rail corridor.
- b)Final construction methodology for structural support during excavation or ground penetration.
- c)Vibration and movement monitoring system details (if required by TfNSW).
- d)Detailed survey plan showing the light rail and associated services.
- e)Plans for proposed crane and aerial operations.
This section contains objectives and controls that apply to the Heritage Conservation Areas listed below and shown in Figure 4.15.7.
- Austenham Estate Heritage Conservation Area apply to the land listed as C62
- Brennan's Estate Heritage Conservation Area apply to the land listed as C63
- Campbell Estate Heritage Conservation Area apply to the land listed as C64
This Heritage Conservation Area is of local heritage significance as one of several areas that collectively illustrate the character of Sydney's early suburbs and suburban growth, particularly between 1871 and 1891, with later infill development up to the late 1930s. It provides a strong example of a turn-of-the-century tradesmen's suburb and demonstrates the influence of planning legislation on subdivision layout.
Key Features:
- Development illustrating suburban growth between 1871 and 1891, with infill up to the late 1930s
- Evidence of rapid building after the 1890s Depression, primarily between 1901 and 1910
- Subdivision pattern influenced by the Width of Streets and Lanes Act 1881
- Layout accommodating both double and single-fronted detached and attached houses
- Strong unity of scale, shape, setbacks and materials due to concentrated development period
- Use of machine-made face bricks demonstrating their availability during the early 20th century
Objectives
To facilitate development that is consistent with statement of significance and controls for Austenham Estate Heritage Conservation Area.
Controls
Note: These controls apply in addition to the general heritage provisions in Section 2.12 of this DCP. Applicants are to address both the general heritage controls and the locality-specific controls below.
Retain the following elements that define the heritage significance:
- a)All pre-1940 buildings
- b)Front gardens and street verges as green space
- c)Federation-style streetscape in Eric and Rayner Streets
This Heritage Conservation Area is of local heritage significance as one of several areas that collectively illustrate the character of Sydney's early suburbs and suburban growth, particularly between 1871 and 1891, with pockets of infill up to the end of the 1930s. Its identity is defined by intense development during the 1880s–1890s, complemented by later infill prior to World War II. The area provides a highly intact example of a late nineteenth and early twentieth-century suburb built for working men and tradesmen.
Key Features:
- Highly intact example of a suburb built for working men and tradesmen, expressed through subdivision pattern, scale, siting and materials
- Regular subdivision pattern and consistent building density creating distinctive outward views and strong aesthetic value
- Mixed industrial, residential and retail character typical of suburban development before cheap public transport and zoning reforms
- Evidence of land-use maximisation through small-scale, regular housing and narrowed width of Joseph Street
- Concentration of free-standing houses on narrow allotments reflecting early fire regulations and social status of detached dwellings
- Use of timber as a primary building material for modest dwellings, supported by proximity to timber yards at Whites Bay
- Groupings of three to five identical houses demonstrating the work of small-scale building contractors
- Presence of back lanes indicating reliance on night soil collection before sewerage installation
Objectives
To facilitate development that is consistent with statement of significance and controls for Brennan's Estate Heritage Conservation Area.
Controls
Note: These controls apply in addition to the general heritage provisions in Section 2.12 of this DCP. Applicants are to address both the general heritage controls and the locality-specific controls below.
Retain all pre-1940 buildings.
This Heritage Conservation Area is of local heritage significance as one of several areas that collectively illustrate the character of Sydney's early suburbs and suburban growth, particularly between 1871 and 1891, with pockets of infill up to the end of the 1930s. It is important for illustrating the last major period of development from the 1900s to the 1930s and provides a good example of an early twentieth-century middle-class suburb.
Key Features:
- Subdivision pattern allowing for double and single-fronted detached houses
- Strong representation of early twentieth-century middle-class housing through scale, shape, siting and materials
- Remarkably intact streetscape despite later intrusions and unsympathetic alterations
- Consistent scale, form, setbacks and materials creating a cohesive streetscape
- Pattern of prominently gabled houses and rhythm of V-shaped spaces between them
- Use of machine-made face bricks demonstrating their ready availability during the development period.
Objectives
To facilitate development that is consistent with statement of significance and controls for Campbell Estate Heritage Conservation Area.
Controls
Note: These controls apply in addition to the general heritage provisions in Section 2.12 of this DCP. Applicants are to address both the general heritage controls and the locality-specific controls below.
Retain the following elements that define the heritage significance:
- a)All pre-1940 buildings
- b)Front gardens and street verges as green garden space
- c)Californian bungalow streetscape in Campbell Avenue and Perry Street
The V-shaped pattern of spaces between roofs of buildings.