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Local councils working with the state government on its Transport Oriented Development Program have helped identify six further sites for residential construction.
Unveiled in December 2023, the Transport Oriented Development State Environmental Planning Policy (TOD SEPP) named 31 transit hubs across 13 local government areas that could, in the government’s eyes, accommodate new housing in a 400-metre radius surrounding the transport node. It’s hoped this will lead to the development of at least 170,000 new dwellings in medium- and high-density buildings.
The NSW government has now reported that through engagement with 12 of the 13 local councils, a further six train stations have been added to the program, bringing the number of neighbourhoods set for new zoning to 37.
The new sites are Cardiff, Cockle Creek, Belmore, Lakemba, Punchbowl and Woy Woy.
Additionally, the Wollongong Council will work with the government on assessing its water and wastewater capacity to determine if Coniston and Unanderra can be added to the list.
The NSW government also announced that LGAs that work in conjunction with the state would be permitted to phase the introduction of the TOD SEPP on certain sites to complete master planning and more detailed work on their individual plans. A majority of TOD SEPP sites are expected to be finalised in April 2024, with over three quarters of sites to be set by the end of 2024.
The NSW government listed the councils currently in communication with the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure on the new planning policies, naming Bayside, Burwood, Canada Bay, Canterbury-Bankstown, Central Coast, Cumberland, Georges River, Inner West, Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, Penrith and Wollongong.
Several of the suburbs identified in the original 31 areas set for rezoning fall within the Ku-ring-gai Council area, which was not named as currently engaging with the state government on the TOD SEPP initiative.
In announcing the additional sites, the state government stressed that housing has been identified as the largest single cost-of-living issue facing the people of NSW, with the NSW Productivity Commission showing that Sydneysiders aged between 30 and 40 are dealing with the issue by fleeing the city at an alarming rate. Between 2016 and 2021, Sydney lost twice as many people in this cohort as it gained.
NSW Premier Chris Minns defined the stakes of the TOD SEPP in these terms.
“If we don’t build more houses, young people will up and leave because they can’t afford a home in NSW. And if we lose our young people, we lose our future,” he said.
“Ensuring we have homes for young people across our state is a shared responsibility,” he commented, thanking the councils for working with the state on its plans.
Minister for Planning and Public Space, Paul Scully, similarly said that he “[applauded] the councils that have worked collaboratively with my department which has resulted in a TOD policy that is tailored to each location and community”.
“I encourage others to sit down and help us address the housing crisis by working together to find well-located housing across the state for young people, essential workers and families who desperately need to access the housing market,” Scully added.
To boost cooperation, Scully promised to deliver “infrastructure investment needed to support housing growth in these areas”.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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