FAQ’s

In 2021 the New South Wales Government announced the sale of the Berrima Correctional Centre (historically known as the Berrima Gaol). The NSW State Government first called for expressions of interest, then followed with a competitive tender process.

With its vision for an adaptive reuse of the site as a multi-venue precinct that could offer the community more value & utility the Blue Sox Group (Blue Sox) was the successful bidder. The sale was completed in February 2023. The site is proposed to be adaptively reused in order to serve a new purpose for the community of Berrima and the broader Southern Highlands region and bring new life & value to the site.

Our vision is to create a welcoming, thriving and lively collection of venues in the heart of Berrima. We want to attract and bring people from near and afar (locals and visitors alike) together with immersive experiences while being respectful and supportive of the history and heritage significance of the site.

To achieve this we are working on a proposal to develop a boutique style hotel with venues which are designed and built to respect the history and heritage significance of the site. A fundamental principle for the project is to create a shared experience inside the gaol and an arrangement of uses that maximises appreciation of the site and its history.

Our proposal will include boutique hotel accommodation, a restaurant and bar, event and wedding venue spaces, as well as a wellness centre, and other uses for day trippers and overnight visitors alike. We are yet to determine suitable supportive uses for the former Governor’s and Deputy Governor’s residences and invite feedback from the community on possible uses for these two buildings.

While the core of our vision is to acknowledge, conserve and share the past we want to transform the site into a place of enjoyment, relaxation and education that everyone is welcome to come and experience.

The site has heritage listings at both state and local government levels. The site is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register as well as under the Wingecarribee Local Environment Plan (WLEP). The history of the site along with heritage elements are comprehensively covered in the Conservation Management Plan (CMP), which has been developed for the site.

An important element of the CMP is its role in defining the adaptive reuse opportunities for revitalising the site. To ensure the proper management, conservation and protection of the site into the future it is widely recognised by the heritage profession and governments that the adaptive reuse model provides for significant beneficial and sustainable outcomes both for the site and the community.

A Conservation Management Plan (CMP) is a comprehensive document that provides guidance on how to manage the significance of a heritage site. The purpose of a CMP is to identify the heritage significance of a place and guide the conservation and management of its significance. It is also intended to assist property owners and occupiers to manage ongoing maintenance requirements and any future adaptive reuse and development. The CMP that has been developed for the Berrima Correctional Centre provides a detailed analysis of the place, its history and cultural heritage significance and its context. The analysis results in conservation policies that are to be adopted by all owners and users of the place.

Adaptive reuse is the process of modifying a place or building for a compatible alternative purpose while retaining its cultural heritage value. A good adaptation is sympathetic to the place, its existing components and its historic context, and one that makes changes that enhance and complement the identified heritage values of the place.

Respectful, innovative and high-quality adaptive reuse projects can bring fresh life to a place and improve its long-term financial and environmental sustainability. Recent successful adaptive reuse projects in NSW:

• Carriageworks, North Eveleigh (contemporary performing arts centre for theatre, experimental dance and acrobatic theatre housed in the former Eveleigh Carriage Workshops, adjacent to Sydney’s main rail corridor);
• South Eveleigh & the Locomotive Workshop (an industrial-era precinct transformed into a dynamic commercial and retail hub integrating a contemporary industrial museum);
• Tramsheds Harold Park (heritage restoration project, salvaging and reinterpreting the iconic Tramway Depot to create a unique food destination – housing providores who are passionate about food, sustainability and education. Brought back to life, the building is now a much-loved destination for the local community as well as domestic and international visitors);
• Hinchcliff House, Quay Quarter Lanes, Sydney (One of Sydney’s last remaining wool stores (1860-1881), conserved and adapted as a multi-level hospitality venue in the city’s heritage heartland);
• Capella Hotel, Sydney (early 20th century sandstone building formerly housing the NSW Department of Education and repurposed as a luxury hotel);
• White Bay Power Station, Sydney;

And other local adaptive reuse projects including:

• The Mint, Sydney CBD (adaptive reuse of an 1816 general hospital for convict patients, now home to Museums of History NSW’s head office, the Caroline Simpson Library, the Bullion Store cafe and various venue hire spaces. The Mint is the oldest surviving public building in the Sydney CBD);
• Smoky Cape Lighthouse Keepers’ Cottages, Hat Head National Park (conversion of historic lighthouse Head and Assistant Keepers cottages into commercial accommodation);
• George Patterson House, Sydney (late 19th Century showroom and warehouse repurposed as Establishment Hotel – a hospitality venue, restaurant, bar and boutique hotel)
• Irving Street Brewery (formerly the old Kent Brewery) in Sydney’s Central Park neighbourhood

Examples of adaptive reuse gaol conversions include:

• Pentridge Prison, Coburg, Victoria (heritage listed penal establishment from 1851 , now a multi-venue precinct)
• Liberty Hotel Boston, USA (formerly Boston’s Charles Street Gaol, now a luxury hotel); and
• Hotel Wilmina, Berlin (formerly a courthouse and women’s prison then a juvenile detention centre, now a luxury hotel)

From “New Uses for Heritage Places” (Guidelines for the Adaptation of Historic Buildings and Sites) written by the NSW Heritage Office, NSW Department of Planning and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (NSW Chapter):

• “Cities and towns across the state invariably benefit when their buildings are creatively designed and functional. (…) Alongside that, we need to protect the history and character that makes our state unique. Adapting heritage buildings to creative new uses helps to achieve both these goals. Put simply, heritage buildings need to be used to be appreciated and provide the greatest value to the community. Once a building’s function becomes redundant, adapting it to a new use provides for its future.”

Given the size, nature, the state heritage listing and the required capital investment value, the project qualifies as a project of state significance and therefore is eligible for submission to the NSW government as a State Significant Development (application).

The process of preparing a State Significant Development (SSD) submission is to first make a formal submission to the state government outlining the basic ideas and concepts of what you are proposing – this initial submission is an application to receive the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEAR’s) letter. The SEAR’s letter includes all the conditions and items that must be addressed in the formal SSD application, including matters such as environmental investigations, design plans, engineering works, community and First Nations people consultation, traffic impact studies and the like. Conditions contained in the SEAR’s letter are comprehensive.

During the design development phase in preparing for the formal SSD submission the NSW State Design Review Panel (SDRP) reviews proposed designs at an early concept stage to ensure the level of quality and thought put in the design is of a high standard and fit for state government assessment. The panel is made up of industry professionals who are appointed by the NSW state government. The SDRP will make recommendations on areas where the concept designs proposed can be improved and may provide additional matters needing to be addressed in the final submission.

Once the final application is made, it is assessed for sufficiency and publicly exhibited for 28 days. The public has an opportunity during this period to formally lodge submissions regarding the application. The application is referred to other relevant state and local government agencies (e.g. the local Council) for comment. Once the application is assessed a recommendation is made (including either conditions of consent or reasons for refusal) and referred to the minister (or delegate) for final determination.

No. There are no plans for a large hotel or residential (private sale)development.

Plans are being prepared that will include boutique hotel accommodation (approximately 60 rooms) the majority of which will be located at the rear of the gaol outside the gaol walls. This will allow for the maximising of the internal spaces of the gaol to be used as spaces for the community to enjoy. The hotel will also help to meet local demand for high-quality accommodation and help boost the local economy.

Designed by award-winning architectural firm Turner, the architecture will be sympathetic to the local heritage context and complementary to the landscape both in materiality palette and scale. Following the natural contours of the land, the rooms will range from 2-3 storeys and will respect the prominence of the existing gaol walls, maintaining key historical views around Berrima.

We strongly believe the success of the project lies in collaboration and engagement with stakeholders, community members, local interest groups, government and local businesses. Our first official community engagement event was held on Australia Day 2024, where we held an open day at the gaol and had an information stall at the Market Place green as part of the Wingecarribee Shire Council Australia day event. Since then we have established a mailing list of people interested in keeping up to date on the project and have sent out information newsletters.

Once concept designs and technical (including environmental) reports have been developed the community and key stakeholders will be given an opportunity to provide feedback. This includes Wingecarribee Shire Council, Local Aboriginal Land Council, residents and businesses of the Southern Highlands, and Berrima Village itself.

There will be a number of avenues for providing feedback including:

• This project web site, where there is opportunity to provide comments and feedback and sign up to the project mailing list;
• Project newsletters will be published as the project progresses and when major events occur or milestones are reached;
• Direct engagement with the community, stakeholders and government.

Once plans for the site are developed we will also look at opportunities for publicly displaying the proposal in order to receive informal feedback from the community before lodging any formal development application.

Connecting with Country is a state government initiative for projects of state significance which provides a framework for good practice in engaging with Aboriginal knowledge holders and responding to Country in the planning, design and delivery of built environment projects in NSW.

To ensure best practice and design excellence for the site, we have assembled a team of award-winning professionals a who represent best practice in fields including engineering, ecology and biodiversity, geomorphology, acoustics, traffic studies, visual impact, social impact, among others. Their expertise complements a thorough independent design review process and input from the community.

Best Practice Architecture
The design team is led by award winning architectural practice Turner. Turner was engaged in 2023 to undertake concept site master planning & detailed designs suitable for submitting a State Significant Development Application to the NSW Department of Planning Housing and Infrastructure. Principal and design lead Nick Turner has been a resident and local to the Southern Highlands for over 20 years. His knowledge & passion for the region might in fact rival that of Blue Sox’ founder & director responsible for conceiving the project. The dedicated team at Turner has extensive experience with adaptive reuse of heritage buildings and all are experts in site master planning and design of mixed-use developments.

Landscape and Built Heritage
Our other leads on the project include JMD Design and Urbis. JMD Design is an award-winning Landscape Architectural practice committed to designing sustainable, creative and liveable outdoor environments that contribute to the social, cultural and environmental wellbeing of all.

Urbis is an award-winning practice specialising in built form heritage. From matters of conservation, to developing the principles and policies of adaptive reuse for the site and to matters of future care and maintenance of significant heritage elements of the site, Urbis have recently completed the adaptive reuse of the 1912 heritage-listed Department of Education and Department of Lands buildings in Sydney’s CBD, now known as Capella Sydney hotel.

Cultural Heritage
We are also engaging with First Nations people as the traditional knowledge holders of the area to ensure future works on the site are planned and designed sensitively and appropriately towards responding to Country and in recognition of the traditional owners of the land.

Rigorous Processes
As a State Significant Development, plans for the site are subject to review & endorsement by the NSW State Design Review Panel (SDRP). The SDRP provides independent, consistent design quality advice on projects of state significance. The panel is made up of industry professionals who are appointed by the NSW state government. A first design review meeting with the SDRP has been held (Dec 2024) with a follow up planned for the second quarter of 2025

We are currently undertaking environmental studies to fully understand the existing ecological communities (plant and animal species) and their habitats that exist around the site, with a particular focus on the river corridor which lies behind the site. No works will occur within the river corridor however degraded land within the site and adjacent to the corridor shall be remediated and restored. it is vital to fully understand & appreciate any potential impacts of the project on native wildlife (aquatic & terrestrial) along with plant communities & tree species.

We are also undertaking flood modelling and fluvial geomorphic studies of the river corridor to fully understand the geomorphic characteristics and properties of the river in order to correctly understand the extent of riparian lands that exist; we have engaged specialist consultants to undertake these studies.

Planning for the site will be informed by the results of the environmental assessments we carry out and advice from our environmental consultants. Any proposed works on the site will ensure the protection of the environment both during construction and operational stages and environmental studies will be submitted with the development application along with all measures required to be taken to ensure the protection of adjoining environments.

We are currently undertaking a traffic and transport assessment to understand the existing traffic and parking conditions around the site with particular regard to the adjoining businesses. Parking will be provided within the site on the northern side of Wingecarribee St, and we anticipate this will meet the needs of the proposed development. There are no above ground parking facilities proposed.

There is no set timeframe for delivery of the project. We anticipate assessment of the development application to occur throughout 2025, including the public exhibition period. After development approval the next stage will commence with detailed construction design anticipated to take approximately 12 months; construction approval will be sought once detailed designs are completed.