Push for Sydney Metro station to be fastracked for Zetland, part of Sydney’s densest precinct

Sydney’s Green Square has a population density greater than any part of London. Now, community leaders are pushing to fast track the delivery of a Sydney Metro station for Zetland.

Artist impression of Meriton's development proposal in Zetland. Photo: Meriton

As Sydney continues to battle a housing crisis, many from all sides of the debate can agree on one thing – the desperate need for better infrastructure.

At a recent public meeting held at Kensington, Heffron MP Ron Hoenig said Green Square’s density was “higher than any part” of London, and highlighted the area’s poor infrastructure, particularly transport.

Green Square’s current population density of 12,483 residents per square kilometre exceeds Central London’s 10,936, the densest section of England’s capital.

Zetland, which sits inside Green Square precinct, has been at the centre of recent debate with billionaire Meriton boss Harry Triguboff submitting new plans to City of Sydney to modify an approved development at the former Holden Suttons car dealership, on Epsom Rd and South Dowling St.

It would include a change in the site’s height limit to allow a 25-storey building to stand 90m tall.

Heffron MP Ron Hoenig. Picture: Monique Harmer

Some residents, including those from neighbouring Kensington, are against the development and are calling Mr Triguboff and City of Sydney to reduce the height of the site’s buildings.

In terms of infrastructure, Green Square includes the 370 bus route, which has previously been labelled the worst in Sydney.

Construction of the Metro Rail Tunnel and Waterloo Station in Sydney in 2019. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

But, with the new Sydney Metro coming into fruition, locals have hit out at the former state government for including a station at Waterloo and overlooking locations at Zetland and Rosebery.

Mr Hoenig said “what Sydney needs is a properly thought out, integrated public transport system”.

He said NSW has faced more than a decade of “mismanagement” under the previous government, saying “it will take time” for the state to recover.

Labor has announced a review into the Sydney Metro project and the “failed bus privatisation agenda” and a Sydney Metro spokeswoman confirmed a review to investigate the feasibility of future metro stations was underway.

Green Square Train Station, Alexandria.

When asked if he was in favour of the government building more metro stations, Mr Triguboff said “the sooner they do it the better”. As it currently stands, residents at Meriton’s proposed site would be required to walk 1.1km to Green Square Train Station.

And Lord Mayor Clover Moore echoed a similar sentiment, doubling down on her calls for the government to build a metro station in Zetland “by 2030”, saying “we cannot wait until 2041”.

In a bid to complement the Metro, Ms Moore said the City of Sydney “worked with developers” to acquire land for the Eastern Transit Corridor which would allow for a light rail connection to Central station “which would support the expected population of 63,000 in 2036”.

“Green Square is a $22bn, 278ha urban renewal project which the City [of Sydney] has injected $700m into to improve public infrastructure,” Ms Moore said.

“Currently, it isn’t adequately serviced by good public transport, but there are good options to remedy that.”