Sydney can’t have more housing without more Metro stations: Report

A new landmark report has revealed what Sydney needs to do to solve its housing crisis, and why it has fallen behind other global cities.

Sydney is going to need to build hundreds more Metro, train and light rail stations if the NSW government has any hope of tackling the housing crisis, a new landmark report has found, with housing advocates warning the state can’t afford the state to stop investing in new Metro lines.

Sydney is already trailing behind its five year target of 377,000 new homes, as the Minns government battles rebellious councils opposed to plans to increase housing density around transport hubs.

A new Committee for Sydney report, Defining Density (Done Well) has found Sydney is trailing behind the majority of global cities, including Melbourne in both the number of stations and the amount of density around them. As a result, the ability to build more houses in proximity to the CBD is hampered.

Within the inner 10km of the cities, Tokyo, Paris, New York and Singapore have more than 100 stations, while Sydney only has 22. Even Melbourne and Brisbane have a greater number of train stations within this radius at 37 and 24 respectively.

Tokyo in Japan has the most stations within a 30km radius with 553.

However Melbourne’s tram network dwarfed public transport in Sydney, with 827 stops within a 30km area, as opposed to Sydney’s measly 44.

The report found that denser cities also have denser transport networks. While Sydney and London share similar levels of density within the 10km radius, London’s population is almost double that of Sydney’s within a 30km radius. This is possible due to housing infrastructure being supported by 323 per cent more stations within the area than Sydney. London has 320 stations within a 30km area while Sydney only has 99.

London has 323 per cent more stations than Sydney within a 30km area – iStock

While almost having double the population of Sydney, the report found London managed to achieve high density with relatively low height levels. Heat maps show most Londoners live in buildings within a four-storey limit.

Yet despite far fewer stations the data showed that Sydney was not building enough homes around the stations it does have. High- density cities such as Paris and London were found to have a consistent density around stations with between 10,000 to 25,000 people within a walking catchment. In contrast Sydney’s stations have between 2,500-10,000 people living around them.

Chart showing train station density across the globe. Picture: supplied

Housing advocates have warned the Minns government that if there isn’t a continued rollout of new Metro projects the housing crisis may never be solved.

Committee for Sydney chief executive Eamon Waterford said the government was already moving in the right direction with its Transport Oriented Development (TOD) zones, but stressed that in order to build enough homes, there needed to be more zones around more stations.

The number of Metro lines the Committee of Sydney believes is necessary to tackle the housing crisis. Picture: Supplied

The TODs, which were introduced in May rezones land within 400 metres of the station to allow for buildings up to six stories high but currently applies to only 21 stations.

“We need more train stations before we can get more housing,” Mr Waterford said.

“We should be delivering a new Metro line every four to six years in Sydney.”

Mr Waterford said despite the state government’s current housing targets, fixing the housing crisis could take more than two decades and would require successive governments to throw money at the issue.

“There’s no doubt that the scale of investment we’re going to require is at a visionary scale – it’s going to require bold leadership,” he said.

“I’m sympathetic that there’s no money but if we are going to solve the long term housing crisis we have no choice.”

Eamon Waterford, CEO of the Committee for Sydney.

Experts commissioned by the Committee for Sydney have proposed an overhaul including an East West Rail Link from Westmead to Western Sydney Airport via Prairiewood; a River Rail connecting Miranda to Norwest via Kogarah, Hurstville, Bankstown and Parramatta; a revamped Cumberland Line connecting Campbelltown to Macquarie Park via Liverpool and Parramatta; a Bankstown to Liverpool Metro Southwest Extension and a Northern Beaches line linking Dee Why to the CBD.

Housing Now chair David Borger agreed that more public transport was the key to more housing but warned a lack of builders in the state meant the government could not build everything at once.

“Obviously we can’t keep building Metro lines at the pace we’re going now as it is limiting our ability to deliver housing but that doesn’t mean we should drop off the perch when delivering Metro,” he said.

“It’s about finding the Goldilocks amount of rail to housing.”

Planning Minister Paul Scully said as a further 16 TOD zones come online by June 2025, housing projects are expected to accelerate.

“We have not been matching public transport investment with housing and jobs previously, but this will happen as we rebalance housing growth around our transport network,” he said.

Gracie and Jack Gilchrist with their daughter Millie, 17 months have struggled to get into the housing market. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

New parents Gracie and Jack Gilchrist are desperate to buy an affordable home in Sydney where they can raise 17-month-old Millie and their new twins who are on the way. They would be overjoyed to see more housing around more public transport options.

Yet the Gilchrists, who are renting in Miranda are facing having to squeeze their three young kids into their rental.

The couple, who are both small business owners, are trying to save up for a housing deposit but are unable to afford anything in Sydney.

“Our lease is almost up and we’re just waiting for them to raise the rent – rental prices are just so expensive, we’re going to try and squeeze in the same home when the twins arrive,” Ms Gilchrist said.

“We have to keep saving and we still have a dream of owning a property.

“I have a deposit and we’ve tried to get funding but we just can’t afford to live in Sydney.”

Originally published as Sydney can’t have more housing without more Metro stations: Report