Sustainability and environmental initiatives

The new Sydney Fish Market will be a 5 Star Green Star rated building under the Green Building Council Australia’s rating tool. It marks a significant step in achieving the NSW Government’s net zero commitment by 2050. This will be achieved by focusing on: 

• using energy efficient systems and building designs, and maximising on site renewable energy opportunities 

• improving water efficiency with a target to reduce potable water use by at least 45% 

• minimising waste directed to landfill through waste separation, recycling and reuse of materials 

• using low environmental impact materials in the building design and during construction  

• designing a building that is future proofed against climate change 

• maximising the building’s indoor environmental quality to ensure comfort and air quality. 

• encouraging sustainable transport options to and from the site. 

The unique, floating roof is a key design feature of the project and will be a testament to cutting-edge engineering and environmental sustainability.  

The innovative roof design has the following sustainability features: 

• Skylights that operate by allowing light to naturally illuminate the upper levels while providing effective shading to reduce direct sunlight   

• Solar panels integrated into roof modules will generate up to 5% of the daily energy consumption of the new Sydney Fish Market 

• The roof modules are permeable to ventilate the space underneath naturally and greatly reduce energy consumption. 

• The roof surface operates to collect rainwater and recycle this water for use. 

Construction materials generally contribute to a large proportion of global greenhouse gas emissions. The project has taken several significant steps toward contributing towards decarbonising the construction. 

Renewable diesel 

The New Sydney Fish Market project is one of the first construction projects to use 100% renewable diesel in the tower cranes.  

By using renewable diesel to power tower cranes on site, greenhouse gas emissions from crane operations are reduced by up to 90% over the life cycle of the fuel compared to fossil fuel diesel. 

Concrete 

Due to the unique nature of the project, the concrete being used has been designed especially for the site and meets sustainability requirements by utilising high recycled contents. 

Furthermore, the project is sourcing concrete from local suppliers to reduce the carbon footprint of deliveries of concrete to site.  

Also, the use of Glebe Island facility as a local staging area allows barge transport of materials to site, reducing the number of trucks on the road. 

Other environmental initiatives on site includes recycling of marine pile offcuts (ferrous  

metal scrap pipe) via local steel mills, mostly into steel re-enforcement. 

Roof material  

The main structure that supports the roof is made from glulam (laminated timber) beams.  

The glulam beams are a sustainable and renewable initiative and have a lower embodied carbon footprint, with less greenhouse gases produced and less water, energy and fossil fuels used during production. 

The roof is built from repetitive modular elements that minimises material waste and creates an efficient building process. 

Water and energy efficiency measures have been incorporated in the design of the new building to provide a range of initiatives that benefit the environment. 

Energy 

The project is targeting a 30% reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions, measured in line with Green Star protocols. Methods to achieve the desired reduction include:  

• Smart lighting control systems and energy efficient lighting 

• Natural ventilation throughout most of the retail floor area 

• A centralised refrigeration plant to operate the air conditioning, refrigeration and icemaking. 

Water 

• Rainwater collection from the roof structure 

• Water saving fixtures 

• High pressure washdown systems across the site using recycled water 

• Wastewater treatment plant that will utilise wastewater and rainwater to produce non-potable water for washdown of hard surfaces, cooling tower usage, toilets and drip irrigation. 

Protecting and improving the water quality of Sydney Harbour and surrounding environment is a priority of the project.  

Work was done to remove, dispose and recycle debris located on the seabed. Some of the items cleared include wharf structure items, a sunken pontoon, hire bikes, trolleys and fishing nets and other miscellaneous items such as rope, steel wire and steel plates. 

Protecting and improving the water quality of Sydney Harbour and surrounding environment is a priority of the project.  

Monitoring of water quality in Blackwattle Bay is carried out and monthly reports are published on the project website.   

Once construction of the building is complete, the project will implement habitat enhancement strategies to protect the local environment. 

Seabin^TM 

As part of the project’s commitment to cleaning up the bay, the project has partnered with Seabin^TM to install 5 Seabin^TM units to clean the harbour of rubbish.  

A cross between a trash can and pool-skimmer, Seabin^TM units skim the surface of the water to remove fuel, oil, plastics, microplastics and other harmful contaminants.  

From 2021 to 2023 the five Seabin^TM units at Blackwattle Bay have: 

• filtered more than 2.6 billion litres of water   

• collected over 8.4 tonnes of marine debris, including 1.5 million plastic items. 

These five units contribute to the Seabin^TM Smart City Program: Sydney, made up of over 32 units across Sydney Harbour, which from 2021 to 2023 have:   

• filtered over 19.8 billion litres of water   

• removed over 87 tonnes of marine litter 

• They now collectively remove an average of one plastic item every six seconds. 

The catches are processed at the Seabin^TM Ocean Health Data and Microplastics Lab, where critical data sets are collated to help facilitate positive policy making and behavioural change.  

Marine habitats 

The project will incorporate habitat enhancement strategies to protect the local environment that include: 

• placement of rock rubble to create microhabitats 

• hanging fish aggregation devices 

• seawall tiles along the basement edge to increase habitat complexity. 

The tiles have been designed to mimic the rocky reefs and seaweed forests around Sydney Harbour and create essential habitats for a range of oysters, seaweed and fish species. 

These tiles are made of pre-cast concrete fused with recycled oyster shells and crushed sandstone. They create an ideal habitat for thriving ecosystems that support the growth of native biodiversity. 

The project works closely with the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) to support the initiative that sees the transformation of Sydney Harbour. 

The new Sydney Fish Market will be a place that celebrates public and active transport links.  

The new building will have greater access to multi-modal transport options.  

Public transport: 

• three light rail stations (Fish Market, Wentworth Park, Glebe) located within 400m 

• 8min walk to Metro West Pyrmont 

• provisions for a new ferry service linking the CBD with North Sydney and the Beaches. 

The building will be set back nearly 10m from the northern side of Bridge Road to accommodate drop off zones for cars and buses, cycle paths, and provide safer access for pedestrians.  

The new Sydney Fish Market will provide parking spaces in consistent with the parking spaces available at the current Sydney Fish Market.  

With visitation numbers expected to double over 10 years, trading hours will also be extended. The site will be operational in the evening (the current site shuts at 4pm).