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A long-closed waterfront stretch along the Parramatta River could soon be handed back to the public in a multi-billion-dollar development plan for Rhodes. Award-winning Australian developer Billbergia has submitted plans to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure for its $3.2 billion Rhodes Bay Masterplan, a State Significant Development Application that aims to unlock more than 300 metres of riverfront that has been privately held for over a century.
Set on the northern tip of the Rhodes peninsula, the plan would transform former industrial land into a public-facing waterfront precinct. Parklands, a continuous foreshore promenade and open recreation areas, is designed to draw daily life back towards the river.
The proposal includes plans for more than 16,000 square metres of open space, including areas for sport, water-based activities, community gardens, and a retail and dining strip along the water’s edge.
“What’s so exciting is that we have over 300 metres of privately held industrialised waterfront that’s been locked away for more than 100 years, which we’re bringing back to the community,” said Billbergia Development Director Saul Moran.
“The goal is to transform it into a meaningful public space where new homes can sit within an amenity-rich setting.”
Above it all sit new homes. Designed by SJB, the masterplan features eight slender residential towers delivering around 1,840 apartments across the precinct.
Subject to approvals, roughly 800 homes are expected to be completed before 2029, with the broader development rolling out into the early 2030s. The scale positions Rhodes Bay as both a major housing contributor and a long-term addition to the Inner West’s waterfront fabric.
The proposal also carries a significant infrastructure bill. Billbergia estimates more than $150 million in contributions towards state and local infrastructure, including affordable housing.
The NSW Government has separately committed funding for a new public primary school on an adjoining site, adding to the sense that Rhodes Bay is being planned as a neighbourhood, not just a development.
For SJB, the brief was about reconnecting Rhodes to the river. “Rhodes Bay is about opening the waterfront for everyone, linking Cavell Avenue to a generous foreshore, welcoming new transport links and creating lively, walkable streets,” said Frankie Layson, Partner and Urban Designer at SJB.
The timing reflects Rhodes’ shift from growth suburb to premium address. In November, Billbergia set a new local benchmark with a $4.5 million penthouse sale, the first apartment in the suburb to break the $4 million mark.
If approved, the Rhodes Bay Masterplan would do more than add homes to Sydney’s housing tally. It would reopen a long-locked stretch of riverfront and mark a turning point for Rhodes, a suburb increasingly defined by where people choose to live, not just where they stop for flat-pack IKEA furniture or pass through on the way to Olympic Park.
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