A development application has been lodged with North Sydney to demolish four existing houses at 54–64 Barry Street, Neutral Bay, and construct an eight-storey residential apartment building in their place.
Read: Neutral Bay Set for Major Redevelopment Under $191 Million Approval
The proposal, submitted by CE Project Ventures, seeks approval for a 45-unit residential flat building on a 1,660 square metre site. The building would include six one-bedroom, 24 two-bedroom, and 15 three-bedroom units, with eight of those dwellings designated as affordable housing.
Three levels of basement car parking would provide 62 spaces, along with communal areas on the ground floor and a rooftop terrace. The project carries an estimated cost of just under $52 million. The application also involves tree removal, basement excavation, and associated landscaping works. The site sits close to the Neutral Bay Club, Military Road, and the local village strip.
Community Feedback
The proposal has attracted a notable volume of community feedback. More than 650 people have signed an online petition opposing the development. Signatories have raised concerns spanning traffic congestion on Barry Street, impacts on parking, privacy implications from the proposed rooftop pool, and the building’s height relative to existing planning controls.
One petition signatory raised concerns about child safety near nearby schools and childcare centres, arguing the development would put pressure on the street at peak drop-off and pick-up times. Residents have also argued the proposal, if approved, could set a damaging precedent for future developments across the suburb.
The Case for More Homes
Not everyone sees the development as a threat. Sydney YIMBY, a grassroots advocacy group pushing for greater housing supply, has come out in support of the proposal. Spokesperson Emilie Dye said in a media interview that many of the concerns raised by opponents are unlikely to materialise once the building is in place, pointing out that the walkability of the location is precisely why new residents would be unlikely to drive to nearby schools.
Dye also pushed back on the affordable housing criticism, arguing that the needs of people struggling to find a home outweigh concerns about streetscape and neighbourhood feel.
Read: Neutral Bay Locals Face Fight To Save Waterfront Meeting Spot as Seizure Notices Appear
A Decision Still to Come
The development application remains under consideration by North Sydney Council. For now, Barry Street sits at the centre of a debate playing out in councils, community halls, and online petition pages right across Sydney.
Published 27-May-2026
