The Minns government faces a growing backlash over plans to rezone land across Sydney for thousands of new homes, with a Labor mayor saying the timetable to implement planning reforms is “unrealistic and won’t happen”.
Planning Minister Paul Scully said 138,000 new homes could be built in the next 15 years under the transport-oriented development (TOD) program.
But two Ku-ring-gai councillors say the council will not sit back and allow the planning reforms to occur, claiming it will lead to the widespread destruction of heritage properties, massive tree loss and traffic gridlock.
The Minns government plans to rezone land near stations such as Roseville for thousands of new homes.Credit: Brook Mitchell
Inner West Labor mayor Darcy Byrne said the state government had not provided dwelling numbers or targets, “which makes it difficult to understand precisely what is being proposed”.
“While acknowledging the urgency of the supply problem, the timeline the Department of Planning has given for new zonings to be implemented across Sydney within a couple of months is unrealistic and won’t happen,” he said.
The state government in December announced new planning rules for land near 31 train stations, including Roseville, Lindfield, Killara and Gordon on the north shore as well as Banksia, Rockdale and Kogarah in the south, and several inner west stations.
Apartment buildings up to six storeys will be permitted within 400 metres of those stations from April – regardless of whether the land is in a heritage conservation area or zoned for low-, medium- or high-density residential, or as a local or commercial centre.
Inner West Labor mayor Darcy Byrne said the Minns government’s timetable to implement new planning rules is “unrealistic and won’t happen”.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
Scully said councils such as Ku-ring-gai should not be fighting changes that will help create more homes.
“We have a housing crisis in NSW,” he said. “If councils want to lock the next generation out of renting or buying close to family and friends, or living close to jobs, then council is free to object, and clearly outline its reasons.”
Ku-ring-gai Council will meet on Monday to condemn the state government’s “irresponsible approach to planning” and explore all options to oppose the changes and stop them being implemented.
A motion put forward by Ku-ring-gai councillors Martin Smith and Kim Wheatley said the NSW government’s changes to planning rules will lead to “vandalism to the built and natural environment on a grand scale”.
A map showing locations in Ku-ring-gai Council subject to the Minn’s government’s new planning rules.Credit: Ku-ring-gai Council
“Ku-ring-gai is alarmed by the long-term consequences of the government’s plans and will not sit back and allow it to occur,” the motion said.
Smith and Wheatley said the plan would “blanket large areas” around train stations with six- to seven-storey buildings that were “so dense they will take up most of the land, not allowing for setbacks from neighbours nor space for landscaping and tree planting”.
“The new planning controls will lead to the widespread destruction of heritage properties, massive tree loss and traffic gridlock,” the motion said. “We know that there is already inadequate infrastructure for sewer, water supply and stormwater in Ku-ring-gai.”
Thousands of north shore residents have also been given flyers from community group Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment headed: “All Ku-ring-gai suburbs threatened.”
Ku-ring-gai councillors Martin Smith and Kim Wheatley are behind a motion condemning the Minns government’s changes to planning rules.Credit: Brook Mitchell
The group’s president Kathy Cowley said the area’s infrastructure struggled to cope with existing residents: “You see water [and] sewerage leaking from streets drains across Ku-ring-gai.”
Cowley said water pressure had been lowered in many parts of the area as more homes had been built: “In Lindfield I can barely get one sprinkler to work effectively.”
Scully said locations earmarked for new homes were chosen because they had infrastructure such as public transport, water and sewerage to support additional growth.
Ku-ring-gai’s heritage conservation areas were meant to protect legitimate heritage items, Scully said. “But heritage must not deliberately be misused in an attempt to avoid the responsibility for delivering more housing.”
The councillors said the Minns government should work with other states and the federal government to reduce the impact of short-term rentals, vacant properties, foreign ownership and immigration if it “was serious about housing affordability”.
Liberal planning spokesman Scott Farlow said the TOD program was a “lazy one-size-fits all approach that isn’t thought through and is the same for stations from Turrella to Teralba”.
Farlow said the state government had given residents no opportunity for consultation before imposing new planning controls: “Many residents have learnt of these plans when they’ve had a developer or real estate agent knock at the door.”
Farlow said the NSW opposition supported measures such as increasing density along transport corridors, to meet ambitious housing targets.
“We don’t believe that just telling local councils to ‘get out of the way’ is the best approach to take with local communities in order to address housing issues across NSW,” he said.
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