Northern beaches housing plan: 23,000 more residents by 2036
Authorities say the northern beaches must make room for another 23,000 people in 12,000 new homes — are we “full” or can we squeeze them in?
Manly
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The council has set out to “debunk the myth” that the northern beaches is “full” and there is no room for more homes, ahead of its deadline for public comment on its draft Local Housing Strategy.
It says the population on the beaches will grow by close to 23,000 people in the next 15 years — to about 290,000 — and that they will need somewhere to live.
The housing strategy is pushing for an extra 11,995 homes by 2026, including townhouses, terraces and social housing as well as affordable homes for key workers.
And it wants much of these medium density dwellings to go up within a 1km radius of existing or planned employment and transport hubs — Dee Why, Brookvale, Mona Vale, Manly Vale and Frenchs Forest.
In a “myth-busting” response to the notion the beaches are full, which has emerged in some of the hundreds of submissions it has received, the council said there were already zonings, and proposed zonings, in place to cater for the construction of 10,751 more homes.
Areas already planned for growth include Dee Why and Warriewood and there is a proposed residential rezoning for Frenchs Forest.
The strategy suggested that the remaining 1244 needed homes could go to areas such as Brookvale and Mona Vale.
If a B-Line style service starts running from Dee Why to Chatswood, areas such as Beacon Hill and Forestville could also end up with more dwellings.
Mayor Michael Regan said as Sydney’s population grows all council areas were asked by the NSW Government to take their share.
“We have an ageing population, very expensive rents and real estate and a need to plan for the mix of families, young people and retirees,” Cr Regan said.
“The mix of housing types across our area needs to evolve and reflect the changing demographics.”
But some residents are saying we need to improve public infrastructure first before trying to move more people into the northern beaches.
Long-term resident and community campaigner Sue Barsi has been urging locals, through community Facebook sites, to submit individual submissions to the council with the message “no more development until our infrastructure is adequate for the number of residents now and to allow future community growth.”
Ms Barsi told the Manly Daily that the council and the NSW Government needed to address problems of roads choked with traffic, crowded schools, police and ambulance shortages as well as more playing fields and public transport.
“I agree we need affordable housing and social housing, but there are a lot of things we need to do before we start packing people in.”
In its submission the Friends of Mona Vale group said proposals to increase density around centres along the B-Line meant that “a great majority of Pittwater will be affected by medium to high rise density housing”.
“(The) Mona Vale area has had its share of medium density development and with little alancing of infrastructure upgrade,” it stated. “In Mona Vale, it is the existing normal residential housing that is now rare and endangered, and must be now preserved to retain housing diversity.”
The deadline for submissions is this Sunday.
EARLIER:
Northern Beaches housing strategy: More apartments, boarding houses
By Madelaine Wong, December 17, 2020
The evolving suburb of Dee Why has seen rampant growth in unit blocks and boarding houses in recent years but a council report reveals it’s only the beginning for key centres on the northern beaches.
The Northern Beaches Housing Strategy shows how the council will accommodate a growing population which is forecast to reach 288,431 people by 2036 and to plan for 12,000 new dwellings to meet district targets.
It also addresses the need for more social and affordable housing, with the northern beaches classified as “unaffordable to extremely unaffordable” on the Rental Affordability Index.
Councillors voted in favour of putting the report on public exhibition at the December council meeting.
Mayor Michael Regan said as Sydney’s population grows all council areas were asked by the State Government to take their share.
“We have an ageing population, very expensive rents and real estate and a need to plan for the mix of families, young people and retirees,” Cr Regan said.
“Right now we have a shortage of over 8100 dwellings for social and affordable housing on the beaches which is predicted to grow by another 1800 by 2036.
“We need to plan better for our childcare workers, cooks and cleaners, our disability workers, nurses and teachers – they need affordable local housing so we don’t lose them to other areas.”
In a bid to meet a general increase in population growth, there be a push for new medium to high density development in existing centres and in transport centric areas, such as, along the B-Line corridor.
Dee Why, Brookvale, Mona Vale, Manly and Frenchs Forest have been identified as strategic centres with existing higher dense forms of housing.
Meanwhile, the local centres which have been recognised as locations for greater housing diversity include Avalon, Newport, Warriewood, Freshwater, Manly Vale, Balgowlah, Forestville and Belrose.
For “modest” additional development along the B-line corridors, Terrey Hills and Beacon Hill have been listed.
However, the council has stated it only needs about five more boarding house developments to meet demand for boarding houses by 2036.
Cr Regan said the “mix of housing types across our area needs to evolve and reflect the changing demographics”.
“Our lack of smaller options has people living alone in huge houses, often asset rich but cash poor. There needs to be additional downsizing options such as townhouses, villas, or appropriate planned villages,” he said.
The housing strategy reveals there is demand for 1,716 self contained village units for retirees, 502 assisted living units and 765 nursing home beds by 2036.
The report states the problem could be addressed by encouraging “redevelopment and upgrade of larger and older seniors living sites” and to incentivise more seniors housing in centres close to public transport.
Through the strategy, the council is seeking an exemption to seniors housing under the Housing for Seniors or People with a Disability SEPP, boarding houses under the Affordable Rental House SEPP and an exemption to the Low Rise Housing Diversity Code which “allows for a fast tracked development process”.
The draft Northern Beaches Local Housing Strategy goes on public exhibition from January 15 until February 21, 2021.
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