NSW Minister Moves Town Hall Square Project to State-Level Review, Overriding Council

The Minns government, through Planning Minister Paul Scully, has taken control of the City of Sydney’s long-standing Town Hall Square plan by declaring it a state-significant development. Scully referred the $94 million proposal, which involves demolishing seven inner-city buildings, to the NSW Independent Planning Commission for a comprehensive assessment under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. The commission will decide the outcome after reviewing submissions from the council and the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.

Council leader Lord Mayor Clover Moore criticised the intervention as extraordinary and warned it could delay or block the project, which aims to create a 4,200-square-metre plaza featuring eucalypts, water features and a future Aboriginal name. Business NSW and Woolworths have opposed the scheme, arguing the cost could rise to at least $150 million. The council revised its cost estimate to $94 million and seeks a transparent process that does not increase expenses or timelines.