Church v state: The battle over density around Sydney’s metro stations

St Alban’s Anglican Church has stood unencumbered in the centre of Five Dock in one form or another since 1859. But it may soon look entirely different.

Next door, a metro station is under construction, part of the $25 billion Metro West line, which by 2032 will connect Five Dock to the Sydney CBD in eight minutes.

“What we’re experiencing right now is the turbulence of change”: senior minister Andrew Katay says the impact of the metro will be seismic.Credit: Janie Barrett

The church wants to amend planning controls on its land to allow buildings up to 75 metres. It proposes two residential towers of 20-plus storeys each, with about 162 units, retail and a childcare facility. The heritage church and rectory would be retained at ground level.

Canada Bay Council has other ideas. Last year, it endorsed a “local planning study” limiting development around the metro station to between five and seven storeys, including along Great North Road. The plan stipulated Five Dock town centre should retain a “strong village feel”.

This question is coming into sharp focus in many Sydney suburbs, especially those set to benefit from metro transit. There is universal agreement that change is coming – but how much?

Labor was critical of the previous Coalition government for failing to increase density near metro stations in the Hills District. Two of those sites – Kellyville and Bella Vista – are now among eight “accelerated precincts”, mostly near metro stations, where the Department of Planning has taken over master planning. Crows Nest, at the intersection of three Liberal seats, is also on that list.

The metro station at Five Dock is under construction on Great North Road. Next door is the St Alban’s Anglican Church.Credit: Janie Barrett

Five Dock, with eight years before the metro station is due to open, is not among the eight accelerated precincts. But decisions about what the area will look like are being made now.

In its report on the Anglican Church proposal, Canada Bay Council concluded that having an adjacent metro station “represents an opportunity for increased development, [but] it is not justification for the 75-metre maximum height proposed”.

The council viewed comparisons to Chatswood or Burwood North as unsound. “Despite the introduction of a metro station, Five Dock is expected to remain a local centre serving local needs and is not intended to become a strategic centre,” it said.

Canada Bay councillors were due to discuss the church’s proposal at a meeting in May, but it lacked a quorum after two officials declared conflicts of interest. The staff report was sent to the Planning Department, which is evaluating the church’s proposal.

A map showing the church-owned site in Five Dock town centre, next to the under-construction Metro West station.Credit: Planning portal documents

Andrew Katay, rector at St Alban’s and senior minister at Christ Church Inner West, said use of land near metro stations was an “open question”, but he had confidence in the state planners who will decide on the proposal.

“What we’re experiencing right now is the turbulence of change,” he said. “I’ve got theories about how much people like to get cranky about stuff. The next day they sort of move on.”

Any rezoning of the land for high-rise development would be lucrative for the Sydney Anglicans. Katay noted maintenance of the current heritage buildings relied on philanthropy.

“We, the church, really aren’t into maximising profits from property,” he said. “What we’re really into is a living, vibrant Christian community in a world that, frankly, needs hope.”

Canada Bay Liberal mayor Michael Megna, who was appointed in January, declined to comment. Deputy mayor Joseph Cordaro did not return calls.

Greens councillor Charles Jago said the church’s plan was too tall and would sacrifice the heritage-listed hall. “Everybody in Five Dock is against this kind of density,” he said.

“I don’t have any problem with the idea of building up not out. Otherwise, we’re chopping down koala habitat in forests on the edge of Sydney.

“I’m really aghast at the poor quality of these proposals. Traffic is already pretty tough there, parking is pretty tough. Yes, there’s a metro. But that’s not an appropriate place.”

Others feel different. At the May 2023 meeting at which councillors adopted the seven-storey plan for Five Dock, one affected landowner, John Jameson, told them they were making a mistake.

Such height limits were in “direct contradiction” to the state and federal governments’ push for more housing near transport hubs, he said, and “failed dismally” to help fix the housing crisis.

“Five Dock needs plastic surgery,” Jameson said. “It needs to attract significant capital investment from major developers. If we don’t change these controls … Five Dock will end up like Leichhardt, a dead urban village.”

The government is yet to present any concept plans for development directly above the Five Dock metro station, which would set a precedent for the area. Plans for seven of the eight accelerated precincts are due to be released this year, but the remaining Bays West plan is expected to take longer.