Senior Liberal Alister Henskens lashes out at Sydney housing plan

A senior Liberal MP has accused Premier Chris Minns of ‘urban vandalism’, saying the government’s housing plan will turn Sydney into ‘a visual slum’. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK.

Liberal MP Alister Henskens has warned that Sydney is on the verge of being turned into a “visual slum”, with “open slather” development to strip the city of its character.

Families would be resigned to living in apartments for life, while the conversion of houses into units would reduce the number of detached homes, making them the “province of the super-rich”, he said.

Accusing Premier Chris Minns of engaging in “urban vandalism”, Mr Henskens said Labor’s housing plan would replace Sydney’s diversity with the conformity of a Westfield shopping centre.

The comments came as the Minns government wrapped up its public consultation phase on Friday on its plan to deliver more low-rise and mid-rise housing — the so-called “missing middle” — ahead of the final reforms to be introduced this year.

Under the changes, single-home blocks across NSW — or so-called R2 residential areas — will be able to be redeveloped into dual occupancies, two separate homes on a single lot.

Joshua Gibbs, owner of Crosstalk records in Norton St, Leichardt. Picture: Jeremy Piper

On single home blocks near “transport hubs” and “town centres” in the Greater Sydney region, Hunter, Central Coast and Illawarra Shoalhaven, freestanding homes will be able to be converted into terraces, townhouses or two-storey apartment blocks.

In R3 medium-density zones — areas which typically now feature apartments of three-storeys — the proposal is for those within 800m from “transport hubs, shops and amenities” to be replaced with buildings of between three and six storeys.

The government hopes the changes will create an additional 110,000 homes by the end of 2029, although it has declared not “every shopping strip” will be targeted, with the department to work with councils on the “capacity constraints and options” at each centre.

Separately, from April this year, the planning controls within 400m of 31 metro and rail stations will be amended to enable more residential flat buildings.

Sites within 1200m of eight transport hubs will also be rezoned as part of the Transport Oriented Development (TOD) program to deliver a further 47,800 homes.

Mr Henskens, the MP for Wahroonga, said of the housing plan: “It’s open slather development.

“People will be incredibly surprised about what pops up in their street.

“The unregulated overdevelopment of neighbourhoods is going to end up in a visual slum. Sydney will become a congested eyesore.”

Joshua Gibbs owns Crosstalk Records and said of possible changes to Leichhardt, and in particular Norton St: “When it comes to high rises, the fact is we live in an area where a lot of people want to live and there is only so many places.

“I wouldn’t say I’m for or against it, but we need to make space for people who need somewhere to live in the area.”

Planning and Public Spaces Minister Paul Scully said Mr Henskens had crowned himself as the “NIMBY in chief” of Sydney, who would ensure “future generations of young people continue to be locked out of the housing market.”

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