Plans to revive ‘ghost’ train station in Sydney’s eastern suburbs
NSW Premier Chris Minns has confirmed an abandoned train station will be resurrected and 10,000 new homes built in an exclusive Sydney suburb.
An abandoned train station in Sydney’s east is set to be revived, paving the way for 10,000 new homes in a project the Premier says “can’t be stopped”.
The ghost station at Woollahra, an upper-class suburb three kilometres from the CBD, would help “rebalance” growth in the city, according to NSW Premier Chris Minns.
The Daily Telegraph has revealed one home that could make way for high-rise housing construction near the station belongs to Opposition Leader Mark Speakman.
Mr Minns confirmed the rumoured plans to resurrect the unfinished station would proceed after speculation mounted in state parliament last week.
In a press conference on Sunday he said the truth was more parts of Sydney needed to pick up the slack in delivering more homes, not just the straining western suburbs.
“It’s a decision that won’t be met by universal happiness by everyone in the local community, I accept that,” he said.
“But the alternative, where we’re effectively saying to the next generation of young Australians ‘you do not have a future in this city because there’s not a house for you’ is intolerable.”
Mr Minns said it was likely an 800m radius around the station would be rezoned for higher-density construction, with up to 10 per cent to be affordable housing.
He believed there would be strong interest from developers owing to Woollahra being “some of the prime real estate in the world, let alone Sydney”.
The Premier acknowledged tensions in the community over the project, saying the government would consultation with locals, but stressed it “can’t be stopped”.
“This plan has been consulted for 50 years and the time to make a decision is now . its too important to Sydney to push it down the road,” he said, adding he’d grown weary of Sydney’s record of “death by consultation”.
Transport Minister John Graham said the eastern suburbs line was only running at 43 per cent capacity, compared to 112 per cent capacity on the western line.
“There is room here on this train line for more people on the train,” he said.
“There’s less people living here when there was 50 years ago … that’s why this plan really makes sense.”
Mr Speakman has said plans for the suburb “in principle” presented a “great opportunity” to deliver “desperately needed homes”.
The stop will be added to the eastern suburbs line running from the city to Bondi Junction, a move that was previously halted by residents in the 1970s.
Woollahra Council also objected to the station 50 years ago but has yet to take a position on the revived plans.
“Despite recent reassurances to Woollahra Council from senior staff at the NSW Department of Planning that there was no plan for the Woollahra Station site, this has clearly been in the pipeline for some time,” Mayor Sarah Swan said in a statement.
Planning Minister Paul Scully said last week Sydney was losing twice as many young people as it was gaining, with unaffordable housing a major factor.
The state government has said it was not afraid to “take on NIMBYS” in delivering the station and new housing in the area, known for being home to some of Sydney’s more affluent locals.
Housing Minister Rose Jackson said places like Penrith, Blacktown and Parramatta had been delivering 2000 new homes per year, while Woollahra had delivered just 100.
“In the face of that dysfunction the government has decided it’s not going into the too hard basket … we’ve got to lean into it and we’ve got to build it,” she said of the station and rezoning.
“It’s a no-brainer.”
Woollahra’s median house price sits around $4.9 million, with high-density housing historically avoided.
The suburb’s population has been falling in recent years, while the number of residents across Greater Sydney has ballooned by 74 per cent over the past 50 years.
It is expected construction to complete the partially-built station could start in 2027 and be finished by 2029.
The move was first reported to be back on the agenda in July after a proposal to build a mini city at the site of Rosehill Racecourse in the city’s west was voted down by Australian Turf Club members.
High and medium density development around transport hubs has been adopted as the NSW government’s flagship housing policy as it attempts to turbocharge supply in the Harbour City.
More details of the Woollahra plan are expected to be released on Sunday morning.
It comes just days after the Premier and Treasurer Daniel Mookhey played coy on the proposal while being questioned in parliament and press conferences.
Asked if the budget included $193 million for Woollahra station during a heated exchange with Liberal shadow treasurer Damien Tudehope, Mr Mookhey was evasive, telling the committee: “I don’t have any policy announcement to make to you today”.
“The government is always looking for every available opportunity to build more homes,” he said.
Mr Minns said in a statement on Sunday: “We are delivering on our promise to rebalance the delivery of new housing from the west of Sydney that has accepted the overwhelming number of new homes without infrastructure, towards the east and north of Sydney where there is existing infrastructure.
“For too long, young people and families in New South Wales have been forced to choose between moving away from the Sydney CBD and not being able to afford a home at all.
“This new train station will allow us to deliver up to 10,000 new homes right here in the heart of Sydney, close to jobs, public transport, green space and essential services.”
