Opposition to 20-storey Lavender Bay development grows

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14 September 2026

A residents’ organisation is calling for vast changes to a plan to build a 20-storey building located at 1–19 Mackenzie Street and 211 Blues Point Road, Lavender Bay.

‘Residents Opposing Lavender Bay Overdevelopment’ have objections to the State Significant Development project based primarily on height, bulk and positioning that they believe will negatively affect the heritage of the area.

Clare Loewenthal, a local resident and representative of Residents Opposing Lavender Bay Overdevelopment (ROLBO), insists that her group is not arguing against renewing the site. “ROLBO supports a sensitive renewal of the site, but the current proposal asks Lavender Bay to surrender too much of its character,” explains Ms Loewenthal.

The site is within the Lavender Bay Conservation Area and contains two heritage-listed buildings: St Francis Xavier Church and the former St Francis Xavier School.

“The design treats heritage as something to build around, rather than the defining quality of the site,” Loewenthal argues. “Retaining the façades or fragments of heritage buildings is not enough,” says Ms Loewenthal.

ROLBO is calling on the government to engage in further community consultation. As of the publishing of this article, the plans are currently on exhibition, with public submissions opening in the next stage of planning.

The residents group is also calling for plans to reduce building height, include more open space, change vehicle entrances and revise designs to reduce scale and suit heritage standards.