Westfield Hornsby on Sydney’s upper north shore could become home to as much as $1.5 billion worth of new apartments, or more than 2000 units, courtesy of the state government’s push to fast-track housing development.

The big boost at Hornsby, along with six other areas earmarked for rezoning across the city, provides a clear template for how vital higher-density housing can be made possible, according to Elliott Rusanow, chief executive of Scentre Group which owns and operates Westfield malls.