To our valued members of the NIDA community, I’d like to provide you with an update on the proposed development for the site adjacent to NIDA at 215B Anzac Parade, Kensington NIDA’s strenuous objections to its current form.
The University of NSW has signed a 99-year lease on the site of the car park adjacent to NIDA’s Kensington campus to property developer Iglu. Without significant changes, this development presents an existential risk to NIDA’s future. Based on current plans the disruption from the construction stage (estimated 3-5 years) and the ongoing issues caused by the size and scale of the development will have a significant impact on NIDA with costs and losses estimated to be $11.4 million in the first 12 months, and tens of millions over the construction period. The financial impact in the first year is close to a third of the NIDA budget for 2025. This is a dire forecast for NIDA which operates as a not-for-profit whose operating budget relies on 45% self-generated revenue.
The proposed development will prohibit NIDA from operating at its current levels and will compromise the short and long-term viability of Australia’s leading and world renowned drama school.
NIDA objected to the development last year and filed its latest objection to the amended development application with Randwick Council on Thursday 6 June. NIDA is not opposed to the entire development and we recognise the need for student housing however it can’t be at the expense of NIDA’s ability to operate.
UNSW have refused to amend the development application further to mitigate the impacts of the proposed DA on NIDA.
Despite efforts by NIDA to engage with UNSW for meaningful and respectful consultation about the proposed development, we have had next to no productive engagement during this process – from the moment we were blindsided by the original development proposal to our legitimate concerns still not being heard or addressed.
The current development proposal will include the following impacts:
1. There will no longer be an adjacent drop off zone for any visitors to NIDA. Namely, vehicles including cars, student buses and disability vehicles will be unable to stop adjacent to NIDA. This will affect up to 100,000 visitors per year and will cause significant safety issues.
2. During the 3–5-year construction phase there will be no car parking close to NIDA for any students or visitors including more than 25,000 children and parents from the community throughout the year. This will greatly reduce the appeal of NIDA as a venue for learning and performance.
3. Two of our key theatres will be forced to close during the construction period causing stoppages in student learning.
4. The NIDA music and sound studios will be unusable during construction impacting the teaching of our Musical Theatre, Singing Actor and Technical Theatre and Stage Management students.
5. Five floors of specialised studio and performance spaces used for learning including for Master of Fine Arts students will need to be relocated due to sound and vibration from drilling.
6. NIDA’s self-generated revenue from its popular professional learning programs will be gravely affected as the proximity of the building will prevent classrooms being used.
7. If the proposal is approved, the buildings will be so close to the NIDA Library, rehearsal rooms and event rooms (in some places 6.7 metres away) that their usage will be heavily compromised.
8. NIDA operations rely on delivery of building materials, sets and large objects. Due to the closeness of the buildings large vehicles will need to cross over two lanes of Anzac Parade and the light rail track to exit NIDA and semi-trailers will have to reverse onto and across two lanes of traffic on Anzac Parade.
In March 2023 after NIDA was shown preliminary plans, NIDA informed UNSW that the design would compromise NIDA’s ability to operate. UNSW ignored NIDA’s concerns and lodged the DA in May 2023.
Since then NIDA has repeatedly requested that UNSW consider the consequences of this development for NIDA and amend the plans. During this process, it became evident that UNSW signed an agreement with Iglu even before NIDA saw the plans. NIDA has been informed multiple times by UNSW that it is contractually committed to Iglu to help the DA be approved in its current form and that UNSW is contractually prohibited from consulting or communicating with NIDA directly about the development without the presence of Iglu. UNSW has told NIDA that due to its contractual obligations to Iglu it is unable to amend its own DA to address NIDA’s concerns.
NIDA’s unparalleled rigour, practice-based learning, connections to industry and culture of innovation have produced some of the world’s most influential and in-demand storytellers across stage, screen and new digital platforms. NIDA is at the very centre of the creative arts and entertainment industries and our Kensington campus is a vital, welcoming community. Local schools, community groups, not-for-profits, arts organisations, and people of all ages and backgrounds from 2 years and up rely on NIDA. We run courses for over 13,000 children, young people and adults each year, have the largest performing arts short course program in the world as well as corporate programs with over 4,000 business professionals a year.
The proposed development puts this essential activity in jeopardy.
It is NIDA’s view that the project can be designed to produce a reasonable housing outcome in a way that does not seriously prejudice NIDA and its operations.
We have asked for the following changes to be adopted to ensure NIDA can operate as it does now:
1. A 24 metre setback of buildings from NIDA (minimum of 18m).
2. An increased easement of a minimum of 14m to support safe access for all service vehicles, buses, articulated vehicles and pathways for pedestrian access and resolve traffic issues with large vehicles reversing onto Anzac Parade.
3. Remove the closest building to NIDA (currently less than 7m), which borders Anzac Parade, to assist in resolving access and safety issues, significant light reduction, privacy issues, and to ensure the visibility of NIDA’s building, as an architecturally awarded building of national significance
4. Incorporation of a permanent NIDA patron drop-off zone adjacent to NIDA.
5. Confirm provision of readily available car parking for NIDA within the development in a formal agreement, consistent with the current car parking arrangement on the site to be developed.
6. Compensation for loss of revenue and relocation costs incurred by NIDA due to disruption during construction.
7. A significant reduction in the overall height, bulk, and scale of buildings.
The Sydney Eastern Planning Panel will hold a public determination on Tuesday, 6 August. We hope they seriously consider NIDA’s objections and the ramifications and consequences of this development on students, staff and the community of the National Institute of Dramatic Art. We have formally requested the Panel to refer the Development Application to the NSW Minister for Planning.
Please contact us for further information.
