The Proposal
Two 50-storey towers. 1,200 dwellings. One block.
This is what Billbergia is asking the State to approve on one block: two 50-storey towers and 1,200 dwellings. It is not approved yet — which is exactly why now matters.
What they want to build
~1,200 dwellings. Two ~50-storey towers. One developer.
Block H / Bennelong Cove is 16 Burroway Road and part 5 Footbridge Boulevard, Wentworth Point. Applicant: Billbergia / WP Block H Pty Ltd.
Original vs current
The scale has not crept. It has escalated.
Original controls
16 / 25 storeys
about 350 dwellings
The baseline residents bought, rented and moved in under.
2023 DCP amendment
~40 / ~40 storeys
about 997 dwellings
2023–24 DPHI exhibition recorded 1,130 submissions (see breakdown below). The 2020 Council exhibition earlier received 763 submissions with 491 opposed.
Current SSD
~50 / ~50 storeys
~1,200 dwellings
Now being pushed under SSD-99885210 at Prepare EIS.
The escalation
From 16 + 25 storeys to two 50-storey towers and 1,200 dwellings
What residents bought into
16 + 25 storeys
What was later pushed
40 + 40 storeys
What is now being pushed
50 + 50 storeys
1,200 dwellings
Source: City of Parramatta — Block H page; NSW Planning Portal — SSD-99885210 · Redrawn from official records.
Dwelling count escalation
From about 350 dwellings to 1,200
Original baseline
350 dwellings
2023 DCP amendment
997 dwellings
Current HDA / SSD
1,200 dwellings
Each square ≈ 25 dwellings. Original baseline reflects earlier site controls described on the City of Parramatta Block H page.
Source: City of Parramatta — Block H page; applicant SSD scoping material · Redrawn from official records.
The 2023 exhibition · Read the breakdown
More support submissions — but not from the people who live here.
DPHI recorded 1,130 submissions in the separate 2023–24 DCP Amendment 2 exhibition: 636 support, 480 objection and 14 comment. The totals are not the whole story. Only 204 of the 636 support submissions — about 32% — were from the 2127 local area. 300 (47%) came from outside the area and 132 (21%) from Rhodes. Objections were the opposite: 393 of 480 — 82% — were local. DPHI also recorded that most objections (94%) were detailed, while over half of support submissions were high-level.
- Objections local (2127)
- 82%
- Support local (2127)
- 32%
- Objections detailed
- 94%
Residents are asking: if this proposal is so good for Wentworth Point, why did most local submissions object, and why did nearly half of all support come from outside the area?
Source: Block H Submissions Report (DPHI), 2023–24 exhibition — NSW-SUBMISSIONS-REPORT-2025.
Note on “local”: In this site, “local” refers to the 2127 / Wentworth Point postcode where that breakdown is used in the DPHI submissions report. Rhodes and other locations are described separately where available.
Base map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Block H location marked from public planning records.
- Step 1Prepare EISWe are here
- Step 2Official Exhibition
- Step 3Resident Submissions
- Step 4Assessment
- Step 5Recommendation
- Step 6Determination
The formal SSD exhibition will happen through the NSW Planning Portal. Billbergia information sessions are not the same thing.
Pathway escalation
From Council process to a State Significant Development pathway
Council process
DPHI process
HDA / SSD process← we are here
Source: NSW Planning Portal — SSD-99885210; Housing Delivery Authority records · Redrawn from official records.
Benefits vs cost
What the proposal offers — and what residents are asked to absorb
Developer benefits offered
- Indoor recreation / sports centre
- Childcare centre
- Shuttle bus (private)
- Public open space (incl. urban park)
- Waterfront club
Cost residents are asked to absorb
- 1,200 dwellings on one block
- Two ~50-storey towers
- Traffic and parking pressure
- Schools, childcare demand
- Wind, overshadowing, amenity loss
- Local control reduced under SSD
Benefits are drawn from the draft Planning Agreement summary on the City of Parramatta Block H page. None are guaranteed until secured in a final, enforceable consent.
Source: City of Parramatta — draft Planning Agreement summary; resident submissions · Redrawn from official records.
Why residents oppose the current scale
The case against the current scale is straightforward.
- Too tall. Roughly double the original 16 / 25 storey controls.
- Too many apartments. 1,200 dwellings on one block.
- Transport is not ready. Buses, ferries and roads are already stretched. A private shuttle is not real transport infrastructure.
- Schools, childcare and open space. Already under pressure across Wentworth Point.
- Public benefits do not justify the scale. A park or a shuttle bus is not a blank cheque for two 50-storey towers.
- Local control bypassed. Block H was pushed onto the HDA / SSD pathway, reducing residents’ formal say.
Claims vs Facts
Parks, childcare, shuttles, “community” — does any of it require two 50-storey towers?
The proposal is being sold with public benefits. None of them justify the uplift. Test every claim against the public record.
See Claims vs Facts, line by line →