Opening of eastern suburbs ‘ghost station’ on the cards

Opening a half-finished and long-abandoned railway station at Woollahra would help deliver thousands of new homes under plans being actively considered by the NSW Labor government as it scrambles to find options to replace its failed Rosehill racecourse mini-city bid.

The opening of Woollahra station, which was abandoned in the 1970s after backlash from locals, would allow the government to pursue another plank of its signature transport-oriented development scheme, said government sources close to the plan but not authorised to speak publicly.

An illustration shows how a railway station at Woollahra might have looked had it been built.Credit: Fairfax Media

Premier Chris Minns is yet to announce the government’s alternative to Rosehill, which would have delivered about 25,000 homes but was voted down by Australian Turf Club members. Meanwhile, the government is giving serious consideration to Woollahra among a swath of options to deliver new homes around Sydney.

Between Edgecliff and Bondi Junction stations, Woollahra already has the bones of a station – which with a facelift could accommodate the only above-ground platforms on the eastern suburbs line.

Under the plan being considered by the state government, the area around the station would be rezoned, and housing towers built above. At present, the space is overlooked by the backyards, pools and tennis courts of multimillion-dollar homes.

Trains pass the incomplete Woollahra Railway Station on Friday.Credit: Louise Kennerley

A report commissioned by Minns and delivered by the Centre for International Economics found that, of all Sydney council areas, Woollahra is the most feasible for increases in high- and mid-density housing developments. As a result of that 2023 report, the NSW Productivity Commission recommended the government expand the TOD provision to the eastern suburbs, and increase available heights for developments in those areas where feasibility is high.

A spokesperson did not deny plans were under way but said the government didn’t have any announcements to make.

“We’re not going to play whack-a-mole with potential projects to deliver more housing for Sydney,” the spokesperson said.

“We introduced the boldest set of planning reforms in the state’s history, and we will continue to reform the system to deliver the much-needed homes for young people and families.

“We have made clear, we need to double down on bold plans for more housing, closer to the city and with good transport links.”

The Woollahra plan, which government sources said was being seriously considered, would probably heap pressure on the Liberal MP for Vaucluse, Kellie Sloane. Seen as a future party leader, Sloane has had to walk a political tightrope over the housing issue in the eastern suburbs.

At a recent community forum, she said Rose Bay was being unfairly targeted to take on more housing, and was questioned as to whether the suburb had a town centre considering it doesn’t have a “decent supermarket”. She was also asked by pro-housing group Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY) whether she supported opening a station at Woollahra.

Sloane said that opening the station would add eight minutes to train journeys. She was open to the idea, but “wanted to see the modelling”.

“I can’t see the numbers stacking up to put it there, I can’t see the traffic, the foot traffic and uplift working … I just can’t see it working,” she said.

The YIMBY group has been pressuring the government to open the “ghost station”, citing recent census figures showing a fall in population in the Woollahra Council area as proof that the eastern suburbs aren’t pulling their housing weight.

The government has faced an uphill battle to implement housing reforms in Woollahra. Mayor Sarah Swan has called its low- and mid-rise housing policy “lazy and ill-informed”, after areas such as Edgecliff and Double Bay were identified for increased density.

“We’re committed to supporting housing growth, but it has to be done in a way that supports and respects the existing character of our community, recognises the impact on infrastructure and takes into account the unique challenges of each location,” Swan told the same housing forum.

The government’s target is 377,000 new homes by 2029 under the National Housing Accord, and Woollahra has been given a target of 1900.

The Rosehill racecourse plan would have had a major impact on that target, but despite the public enthusiasm of Minns and ATC chairman Peter McGauran, members weren’t swayed by the government’s $5 billion offer.

McGauran on Wednesday announced his resignation as chairman, and in a parting shot said the abandoned Rosehill plans would be remembered as a “lost opportunity”.

That failure has left the state government looking for a Plan B. Finding a single site to deliver the same volume of homes is unlikely. Instead, Minns is considering smaller potential projects around inner Sydney.

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