Housing plan in Ryde would control developers and units
RYDE has won a reprieve from controversial new laws encouraging medium-density housing, and stronger rules could apply to highrise proposals in what the State Government says is its solution to building madness.
Northern District Times
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RYDE has won a reprieve from controversial new laws encouraging medium-density housing, and stronger rules could apply to highrise proposals in what the State Government says is its solution to building madness.
Planning Minister Anthony Roberts has offered not to apply the medium-density housing code, which aims to make it easier to build villas and terraces fast-tracking approvals from July 6, in Ryde until July 1 next year.
Ryde Mayor Jerome Laxale, also Labor’s state candidate for Ryde, had warned the changes would see manor houses — three to four-unit buildings — built close to houses.
He was pleased by the news.
“This doesn’t mean the code is gone forever, but it means the July 6 introduction has been stopped,” he said.
He said more lobbying was needed for the council to retain control of its planning.
However Ryde state Liberal MP Victor Dominello said there was a lot more to the proposed solution than pausing the code’s rollout.
This included the council being prevented from approving highrise plans which exceed its Local Environmental Plan.
These deals usually occur after a developer provides additional payments or facilities, such as Meriton’s proposed 60-storey unit building at Macquarie Park.
A key measure is the government offering $2.5 million funding for the council to review its LEP, which Mr Dominello said was incompatible with the housing code.
“Ryde Council’s planning laws are the problem,” he said.
“People, like me, were horrified at the prospect there could have been another 10,000 medium density developments in our area based on Ryde’s current LEP.
“There hasn’t been a comprehensive look at where it is appropriate to have high, medium and low density buildings for a long time.”
The current LEP was set in 2014.
Ryde Council will consider whether to accept the government’s solution at its meeting on May 22.
Similar measures were also announced for the Canterbury area.