4 October 2026

Following the public exhibition of the proposed plans for 2 high-rise mixed-use towers at the gateway to the Griffins’ Castlecrag (21 April – 7 May 2026), the developer was issued a Request for Information (RFI) prepared by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) in June 2026. RFI is a formal notice sent by the consent authority asking an applicant to provide missing, clarified, or revised details for a lodged development application.

The DPHI’s RFI states that the proposed high-rise development at the gateway to the Griffins’ Castlecrag is “located adjacent to the Griffin Heritage Conservation Area (HCA), and the proposed development should provide an appropriate transition to the HCA, with a built form which is subordinate to the natural landscape. …” (p.7).

As required in the RFI, the importance of the built form being subordinate to the natural landscape cannot be overstated.

The developer’s response and revised plans were uploaded to the NSW Planning portal on 2 October 2026. The revised height (from 13 to 11 storeys) would not diminish the detrimental effect of the proposed development on the Griffin Heritage Conservation Area, if this development application were to be approved. The proposal would still dominate and tower over the natural landscape and the Griffin HCA. If approved by the Minister, the revised design, as much as the original proposal, would have devastating impact on the fabric of Castlecrag.

In order to remind the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, the Honourable Paul Scully MP, of our strong opposition to this inappropriate and destructive proposal, while it is still being assessed, the Society has sent a letter signed by 26 eminent professionals and academics requesting “the height of any redevelopment at 100 Edinburgh Road, the landmark site and entry into Castlecrag, is limited to approximately the height of surrounding trees, so that it does not dominate the landscape and the scale of the adjacent Griffin HCA. We request that you, as Minister for Planning, refuse SSD 90134958 if it does not comply with these requirements”.

The signatories of the letter come from Sydney and well beyond, including the USA, India and UK highlighting just how unique and renowned the Griffins’ Castlecrag is and its national and international importance.