Business
20 June, 2026
Gaol proposal moves towards assessment stage
The adaptive re-use proposal for Berrima Gaol is set to progress to the assessment stage with applicant Blue Sox advising that it has lodged its ‘Response to Submissions’ package with the NSW Government.
The adaptive re-use proposal for Berrima Gaol is set to progress to the assessment stage with applicant Blue Sox advising that it has lodged its ‘Response to Submissions’ package with the NSW Government.
In its latest letter to Berrima residents and business owners, Blue Sox says it has made a number of modifications to plans for the adaptive re-use proposal including increased flood protection for the carpark off Wingecarribee Street and further ‘footpath and pedestrian connectivity’ works external to the site.
Blue Sox says it has also provided further detail of planned landscaping works and additional justification for a proposed opening in the gaol wall to facilitate indoor/outdoor dining.
The opening remains one of the most controversial aspects of the adaptive re-use proposal.
Blue Sox has also committed to retaining the stairs and platforms inside the gaol’s guard tower.
As previously reported by The Southern Wire, Blue Sox has submitted a State Significant Development (SSD) application for the historic gaol site.
The proposal includes boutique accommodation outside of the gaol’s western wall, a 195-space carpark to the south and a restaurant, function centre and wellness centre inside the gaol walls.
The proposal has been met with a mixed response from local residents, with some describing it as ‘inappropriate development’ of the site. Others believe it will bring tourists (and the tourist dollar) not only to Berrima but the entire Southern Highlands.
Blue Sox says the project will create 99 new jobs during the construction phase and 60 new full-time equivalent jobs once it is operational. It will add $15 million per year to the Wingecarribee economy during construction and $4 million per year once it is operational.
The ‘Response to Submissions’ package is currently being reviewed by staff at the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) and is expected to be made available to the public within days via the Government’s Major Projects portal.
Government referral agencies will then be invited to make their final response before DPHI finalises its recommendations and submits a report to the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC). DPHI’s assessment report will also be available to the public along with any recommended conditions of consent.
The final decision will rest with the IPC or with Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully.
As previously reported, Blue Sox purchased the gaol site in 2022 at a cost of $7 million with plans to turn it into a ‘lively community hub”.
If the proposal is approved, there is expected to be another 12 months of detailed design work before construction commences.
Construction would take approximately two years with possible completion in 2029-30.
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