Former NSW Premier Kristina Keneally has voiced significant regret over the stalled development of the Bays Precinct, a prime waterfront area west of Sydney’s Anzac Bridge, during her time in politics. Keneally, who held the crucial Planning Minister portfolio before ascending to the premiership in late 2009, believes this valuable parcel of Sydney land should have been prioritised for housing development much earlier.
Speaking on ABC Sydney, Keneally explained that the global financial crisis (GFC) in 2008 presented an insurmountable obstacle to realising her vision for the Bays Precinct and Glebe Island. “Had the GFC not hit there are things I would have loved to have done around the Bays Precinct and Glebe Island,” she stated. “We have such valuable land right there in Sydney, around the Anzac Bridge, that could have been and should be developed for housing. As both planning minister and then as premier this was such a great asset that sits there for Sydney.”
A Missed Opportunity for Urban Transformation
The NSW government recently announced plans to transform the Bays West area from a working port into a vibrant inner-city suburb, potentially accommodating up to 8,500 new homes. Keneally, who served as Premier from December 2009 to March 2011, drew parallels between the potential of the Bays Precinct and the successful redevelopment of Barangaroo, a project she credits to her tenure as Planning Minister. “That’s made a remarkable difference to our CBD,” she remarked. “I now look at Glebe Island and it just reminds me of the missed opportunity. But with the GFC, nobody had capital really to come along and do that.”
The history of Glebe Island’s development is indeed a long and winding one. During Keneally’s time in office, there were even discussions with Disney about the possibility of transforming the island into a theme park, a testament to its perceived potential.
Life After Politics: A New Chapter
Keneally’s recent appearance on ABC Sydney was also to discuss her current role as CEO of the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation, a position she has held since November 2022. While acknowledging fond memories of her political career, which spanned nine years as a NSW Labor MP and three years as a Senator, she expressed no inclination for a political comeback.
“My children are, they’re adults. I miss them being babies, but I’m not going to go back and have another baby to get that feeling back,” Keneally candidly stated, drawing an analogy for her feelings about politics. “That’s how I feel about politics. I feel incredibly grateful to have this period of my life to live a bit differently, to live the values that drove me into politics, but to live in a way that allows me to be more present to my family, to my friends.”
The Evolving Landscape of Political Safety
Reflecting on her time in public service, Keneally observed a significant shift in the way politicians engage with the public and the associated risks. The advent of social media, she noted, has paradoxically made politicians more accessible while simultaneously increasing their vulnerability to threats.
“When I was first elected you used to do mobile offices and you would put out a brochure to your community in your electorate and say, ‘I will be at the corner of these two streets from 12pm to 2pm,’” she recalled. “Police would advise me later in my career never to do that. Never advertise where you’re going to be ahead of time.” Keneally attributed this heightened risk to the broader societal trends of increasing extremism and the use of online platforms for radicalisation.
The challenges of public life have undoubtedly evolved, and Keneally’s reflections offer a valuable insight into the changing dynamics of political engagement and personal safety in the digital age. The unfulfilled potential of the Bays Precinct serves as a poignant reminder of how unforeseen global events can impact even the most ambitious urban planning initiatives.
