BlueScope Port Kembla Masterplan

The Port Kembla Land Transformation masterplan covers more than 200 hectares of BlueScope steelworks land. It proposes rezoning that would open the precinct to advanced manufacturing, education, technology-based industries and businesses linked to renewable energy. The core challenge was to match industrial growth with strong environmental outcomes while respecting heritage and introducing diverse new industries within a long-standing steelmaking context.

Atelier Ten developed the Sustainability Strategy with Cundall and ColonySix to guide the transformation of surplus land into a mixed-use innovation precinct. The strategy organised the work around four themes — Community, Nature Positive, Resilience and Smart Transitioning — and turned ambition into practical steps that could maximise benefits for the Illawarra community.

Analysis of urban trends, the planning context and comparable precincts indicated that a robust sustainability vision would underpin investment and successful renewal. Through a structured program of research, interviews and workshops, we set measurable objectives and tested pathways for circular economy outcomes, renewable energy supply and a route to net zero operations.

With Bangawarra’s guidance, the Sustainability Vision puts Connecting with Country at the centre. Indigenous knowledge informed land and water management, heritage interpretation and learning – ensuring that Country is evident in planning and identity.

To emphasise place and community, the brief provided for inclusive public spaces supported by safe walking and cycling and intuitive wayfinding. Building on existing road, rail and utility networks, the precinct offered adaptable infrastructure to attract new industry whilst heritage structures could be retained and restored as civic assets.

Circularity sits at the core of delivery, diverting waste from landfill. Buildings were conceived as material banks with design for disassembly, modular systems, material passports for major components and a preference for recycled content. Water and ecology were treated as a key pillar with a strong focus on preservation, recycling and regenerative design principles.

Resilience measures were also embedded into thinking. Flood reach was examined, and critical services were planned above flood levels with provision for safe evacuation. Local renewable power with battery storage was considered to bolster the grid and safeguard energy supply.
Rating pathways such as Green Star Communities and the Living Community Challenge were explored to support assurance and credibility. A living lab approach was proposed to trial and scale innovations with government, industry and research partners.

The strategy positioned Port Kembla as a practical demonstration of brownfield regeneration at scale, where circular economy practice, net zero operations and nature positive outcomes were written into the brief from the outset. At full development the precinct could generate about $3.26 billion a year by 2050 and support roughly 19,400 on site jobs.

Key Collaborators: ColonySix (Project Management) | Tyrell Studio (Landscape Architecture) | Cred Consulting (Stakeholder Engagement) | Bangawarra (Connecting with Country) | Ethos Urban (Urban Planning) | Bjarke Ingels Group (author of masterplan framework and visualizations)