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Friday April 17, 2026 
3 March 2026
A groundswell is mounting in opposition to a proposed development at 54–64 Barry St, which would see the demolition of four houses to make way for an eight-storey apartment building. Simultaneously, action groups are arguing the area is lagging behind its housing and this development would be crucial to boosting supply.
The proposal, submitted by CE Project Ventures, would deliver a total of 45 residential flats, including eight affordable housing dwellings. The mix of units is planned for six one-bedroom, 24 two-bedroom units (including all eight affordable housing dwellings), and 15 three-bedroom units. The project is estimated to cost just under $52 million.
650 people have signed an online petition opposing the development, citing concerns about overdevelopment, traffic, privacy, planning controls compliance, and that it “would set a damaging precedent for future developments in Neutral Bay.”
A signatory to the petition, Smit, wrote: “It will choke Barry Street with traffic, strain parking, and gamble with children’s safety at the very hours they should feel most protected. The rooftop pool and height breaches invade privacy, erode neighbourhood character, and disregard the sanctity of nearby schools and childcare. We stand firmly for responsible growth, and we urge Council to reject this overdevelopment or demand a redesign that truly respects the community.”
On the other hand, Sydney YIMBY, a grassroots community advocacy group with hundreds of members campaigning for abundant housing, refutes these concerns.
Sydney YIMBY Spokesperson Emilie Dye told the Sun: “Once built, many of the fears from NIMBY groups will likely be shown to be groundless. It will take kids living in the new development longer to put on their shoes than to walk to school. The concern that new residents will clog school pick-up and drop-off ignores why people choose to live in places like this — to walk to things, not drive.”
The development is proposing to include eight affordable housing dwellings, which opponents feel is a planning loophole. A respondent to the petition, Alan, wrote: “The new laws which are intended for affordable housing are being exploited by builders. The builders are only targeting higher priced suburbs, meaning ordinary people won’t be able to afford what they build, and the couple of apartments they rent out at 80% of the market rate is still unaffordable to everyday Australians because of the high market rate. The legislation needs to be reviewed. Minns is making a mess of Sydney.”
Dye argues: “The 650 people who have signed the petition may view the new development as inconvenient or unattractive, but those concerns do not hold a candle to people desperate for housing. A roof over someone’s head matters more than maintaining the ‘established residential character of Barry Street’.”
Sydney YIMBY also believes that increased housing supply will help meet demand and subsequently ease prices. “We are in a housing affordability crisis for which the solution is to build more homes. Attempts to block new development only serve to worsen that crisis and reserve neighbourhoods for those lucky enough to have already been locked in housing,” Dye said.
Six hundred and fifty-one dwellings have been approved for construction in North Sydney over the past 18 months — just 37% of the council’s target. North Sydney is one of the worst-performing councils in the state.
The development application is currently under council consideration.