The government wants more houses. Ku-ring-gai finally comes to the table

A council spent more than a year battling Premier Chris Minns’ push for new housing development and has come up with an alternative plan, including 28-storey high-rises on Sydney’s leafy North Shore, that also eclipses the expectations imposed by government legislation.

Killara Station on the leafy north shore is earmarked for development.Credit: Jessica Hromas

Ku-ring-gai Council claimed its plan would create about 1569 more homes than the government’s Transport Oriented Development planning scheme, which sets a blanket planning rule of six-storey buildings within a 400-metre radius of railway stations. Ku-ring-gai’s plan is aimed at preventing developments in small residential streets and focusing them around town centres and allows for buildings as tall as 28 storeys around Gordon station; 18 storeys would be supported around Lindfield station; and buildings up to eight storeys could get the green light around Roseville and Killara stations.

Minns has staked his political future on delivering desperately needed homes. In winter 2023, he unveiled the signature policy of his government: in the biggest rezoning shake-up in Australian history, regulations dramatically changed to increase density, especially around transport hubs, to create capacity for a claimed 170,000 new homes.

The reform was widely welcomed. Twelve of the 13 councils targeted by the TOD planning scheme reached an agreement with the government. But with 25 large, state-significant developments slated along its tree-lined streets, Ku-ring-gai was the only hold-out.

The issue quickly turned political: the Liberals planned to wreck the legislation and Ku-ring-gai Council spent more than a year battling the Minns government plan. There was widespread disagreement within the community over the plan, the towering 28-storey blocks prompting most debate. But the council voted unanimously this week to support the counter housing strategy that paves the way for up to 24,500 new homes. NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully confirmed that the Planning Department would consider Ku-ring-gai’s alternative, but no timeframe has been confirmed.

In today’s crowded Sydney with its attendant chronic housing shortfall, the best way to boost the supply of housing is to put them near train stations.

The forces of NIMBYism invariably cloak objections to projects around planning and heritage. The Ku-ring-gai proposal is also touched by such sentiments with Mayor Christine Kay declaring the council’s alternative scheme would “protect the area’s heritage and environment” by focusing density near existing town centres.

Ku-ring-gai has possibly blazed a trail for other municipalities. Several other Sydney councils have proposed alternative planning schemes to the TOD controls, including Canterbury-Bankstown Council and the Inner West Council. Inner West is now seeking public feedback on a plan that would support higher density in parts of the local government area, including along Parramatta Road and in The Bays Precinct.

The Minns government tempted councils to come on board TOD reforms, promising a $200 million grants pool to fund green spaces, sports facilities and street maintenance. Ku-ring-gai has cleverly dangled the carrot of more housing before the government to green-light what we consider a fair and pretty sensible proposal.

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