Barangaroo South Sustainability Report 2021 - 2023

A world beneath the water Barangaroo South’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond what happens on land to biodiversity below sea level. In 2020, Lendlease, in partnership with Living Seawalls, Reef Design Lab and SMC, installed nearly 400 panels in Watermans Cove. These panels feature complex surface designs that mimic oyster reefs, sponges and rock pools to re- create natural underwater habitats. Living Seawalls is a collaboration between the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS), Macquarie University and the University of NSW. Barangaroo South’s installation is the largest Living Seawalls habitat enhancement in the world.  The panels were created using 3D printing technology and incorporating recycled oyster shells to enhance their sustainability. After installation they were planted with native golden kelp (rescued from pilings undergoing maintenance at a nearby location) to help other native marine species to adopt their new home. The panels were installed on a lightweight and open frame at varying levels of the intertidal zone under Barangaroo South’s wharves, ensuring both sides of the panels are exposed and able to be used by marine organisms. The panels feature protective spaces and crevices that mirror the environments and surfaces native marine organisms need to thrive in their underwater habitat. With support from INSW, the Living Seawalls scientific team will monitor the project for five years, diving to the panels and ‘weeding’ the surfaces to remove invasive or pest species. The valuable data collected by Living Seawalls scientists through this monitoring process will help urban planners, policymakers, designers and other stakeholders better understand how we can enhance and protect urban coastal marine communities. In September 2021, the SIMS team inspected the underwater garden and found it to be thriving with new seaweed babies and fish (large and small) making use of the panels as shelter and food. Almost three years on, we can celebrate this thriving underwater environment and the positive long-term impact this sustainability initiative has on enhancing marine habitats and biodiversity on-site. In 2022, it was determined that the number of species in the area had flourished from around 30 before installation to over 152. Invasive species were down from 30 per cent to 0.1 per cent and 54 fish species were sighted, a vast improvement on pre-construction when no fish were observed. The 2023 SIMS report presents even more positive statistics, with fish biodiversity reaching the highest levels to date. In March 2023, 115 species of fish, seaweed and invertebrates were identified inhabiting the Watermans Cove installation. The Living Seawalls project at Barangaroo South—funded by Lendlease and supported by the work of globally leading research scientists, innovative industrial designers, and ongoing monitoring and data analysis funded by INSW—is an exciting example of what can be achieved through genuine partnership. Together, we’re building our understanding of our valuable coastal marine environments. Pictured: Living Seawalls - Photograph by Sian Liddy. DELIVERING ON Environmental focus Creating thriving communities SUSTAINABILITY IMPERATIVES VIBRANT AND RESILIENT COMMUNITIES AND CITIES HEALTHY PLANET AND PEOPLE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH SOCIAL VALUE FOCUS ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS Resources and materials Climate action Nature and pollution 42 Sustainability Report 2021–23 Barangaroo South SHAPING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE