Settler-Colonialism in Australia
Barangaroo’s site must be understood within the broader context of settler-colonialism, where urban landscapes remain tied to a history of dispossession (Porter, 2018). Despite the Mabo decision (1992) acknowledging stolen Indigenous land, colonial violence is still erased from planning discourse. Early planning efforts, such as Melbourne and Adelaide’s town grids, are celebrated while obscuring their foundation in land theft (Porter, 2018).
Sydney’s waterways were central to colonial control before land settlement, shaping urban expansion through “nautico-imperial” logics (Rogers, 2022). Yet, planning still fails to integrate Indigenous perspectives, reinforcing their exclusion from contemporary urban governance. The myth of Indigenous disappearance persists, despite evidence that many adapted to urban life rather than relocating (Irish, 2017).
This exclusion extends to redevelopment projects like Melbourne’s Docklands and Port Adelaide, where Indigenous identity is reduced to symbolic gestures (Oakley & Johnson, 2013). By confining indigeneity to the past, urban planning precludes Indigenous agency in shaping contemporary cities. Over time, a pattern of colonial forgetting has systematically removed Indigenous voices from governance, planning, and academia.
Sydney’s Planning History and Governance
Sydney’s urban development has evolved through shifting planning paradigms, from Governor Macquarie’s (1810–1821) early zoning efforts (Hu, 2012) to post-WWII ad hoc expansion. The 1980s–1990s saw a shift toward neoliberal planning, prioritising finance and tourism over public interest (Punter, 2005). Barangaroo’s redevelopment exemplifies these trends, marked by privatisation and limited public accountability (Jabour, 2015).
A key mechanism enabling this is the Unsolicited Proposals (USP) process, where private developers bypass standard planning laws and public consultation (Rogers & Gibson, 2023). This framework reinforces elite influence over urban space, marginalizing broader community interests.
While Barangaroo has been widely studied from a governance perspective, little research examines how these policies affect public space use. Addressing these issues requires an inclusive planning approach, ensuring Indigenous perspectives and public interests are actively integrated into urban development.
Barangaroo Public Space Study 