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Moving forward with its plan to increase density around key transit hubs, the state has now released the master plans for the first seven suburbs.
Through its transport-oriented development (TOD) accelerated precincts, the Minns Labor government has completed master plans in Bankstown, Bella Vista, Crows Nest, Homebush, Hornsby, Kellyville and Macquarie Park. It’s estimated this will create roughly 60,000 homes over the next 15 years, and the government is now looking for builders to fast-track construction.
These seven suburbs have received accelerated rezonings due to their high-priority location, allowing for high and mid-rise dwellings within walking distance of public transport.
The rezonings also include extra space for schools, public parks, health services and special entertainment precincts, depending on the council.
Additionally, the TOD is forecast to create more than 126,000 commercial and retail jobs.
In order to support the changes, the NSW government vouched $520 million to fund community infrastructure, public spaces, road upgrades and active transport links to create more vibrant and walkable precincts.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the upcoming changes are part of the government’s plan to build a better NSW with more homes for families, workers and young people.
“By getting these master plans done, we are another step closer to building more homes for the next generation.
“These precincts will deliver a mix of housing, new open spaces and playing fields – they’ll be great communities for families to build a life,” Minns said.
Across the seven suburbs, the master plans set a 3 per cent affordable housing rate, with all homes designated as affordable housing to be maintained in perpetuity across all sites.
Additionally, higher affordable housing rates of up to 18 per cent are planned for key sites within the precincts.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, said these master plans were delivered in less than a year and are another testament to the Labor government’s commitment to delivering more homes, jobs and amenities in NSW.
The finalisation of the master plans follows the government announcement of its Building Homes for NSW program where more than 1,300 homes will be built on government-owned land and property across 11 areas to address the NSW housing supply shortage.
Scully said to accelerate the TOD housing delivery, the government is now seeking development applications to be submitted for assessment.
To boost the dwelling development, the master plans offer a streamlined pathway for planning assessments, including fast-tracking proposals over $60 million (or about 100 homes), removing low-risk requirements for developers.
“This allows for greater speed without compromising the quality of the assessment or the final result,” Scully said.
Despite welcoming the finalisation of the project, the Property Council of Australia described the reveal of the master plans as a “mixed bag”.
Property Council NSW executive director, Katie Stevenson, said the rezonings are a step in the right direction but warned that site-specific issues risked undermining broader housing goals.
“It’s disappointing that many homes that could have been delivered under this accelerated TOD program will not go forward in the near term because the settings simply don’t stack up, and industry feedback on how more homes could be delivered quicker has not been acted upon,” Stevenson said.
“In many locations, improvements have been made to affordable housing and density levels which is very welcome, but in others, projects have lost hundreds of potential dwellings overnight – including affordable homes. That’s a major concern,” she added.
Stevenson said to provide affordable housing, the government will have to give more flexibility to builders including allowing them to make either in-kind contributions of cash or stock in perpetuity.
She said another key element to enable the delivery of more affordable housing in these key locations is the reactivation of the Affordable Housing bonus provisions to help builders move from the spreadsheet to the shovel faster.
Additionally, Stevenson urged the government and the industry to continue working hand-in-hand to unlock the full potential of the TOD precincts project.
“We have said from the start that the success of the TODs will be measured by how many well-located homes are delivered and how quickly. Where the final master plans allow for that to happen, that’s a great outcome, but where the opportunity has been scaled back, that’s an issue,” she said.
“We’re hearing from industry that several precincts will still be the same as they are today five years from now, and that’s a missed opportunity.
“The housing crisis is not slowing down, and we need to act now to prevent it from becoming even worse,” Stevenson commented.
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