The plan to build more 11-storey unit blocks in Sydney's inner west
Apartment blocks up to 11 storeys will be allowed around train stations in Sydney's inner west after the local council objected to a state-imposed rezoning and drew up its own plans to deliver more than 30,000 new homes.
The Inner West Council on Tuesday revealed its long-awaited proposal to boost housing supply after it objected to the government's transport-oriented development (TOD) scheme to rezone land within 400 metres of dozens of train stations across Sydney to allow six- or seven-storey unit blocks.
Under the council's proposed changes to planning rules, buildings of mostly six to 11 storeys will be clustered around Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Croydon and Ashfield stations, as well as light rail stops and main streets in a bid to more evenly distribute higher density housing across the municipality.
Mayor Darcy Byrne said council staff and consultants had pieced together the proposal 'block-by-block' as a nuanced alternative to the government's blanket rezoning that came into effect last year.
'The draft plan is an excellent start … [This] is a blueprint for how we can fix the housing supply crisis in our own backyard,' Byrne said.
The government of Chris Minns has forged ahead with plans to encourage the construction of more units around 37 train stations under its rezoning scheme as it attempts to meet its share of the National Housing Accord target to deliver 377,000 well-located homes throughout the state by mid-2029.
Loading
The council's proposal, dubbed its 'fairer future' plan, enables the construction of 31,000 homes within 15 years. Another 3000 to 5000 homes are proposed for the state-led Bays West precinct around the future metro station at Rozelle. The council has a target to deliver 7800 new homes within five years.
The council planning documents said the changes 'support local housing needs up to 2039 and exceed the Inner West's five-year housing target and state government's targets'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
17 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Music to our ears': Housing industry thrilled after Clare O'Neil reveals Albanese government's plan to slash red tape
The Albanese government's new approach to boost the construction of new homes has received enthusiastic support from the housing industry. Housing Minister Clare O'Neil announced on Saturday that the Albanese government would push states and territories to roll back excessive levels of red tape that had made it 'uneconomic' to build new homes. Through its National Housing Accord, the Albanese government has pledged to deliver 1.2 million new homes. However in an interview on the ABC, Ms O'Neil said it was 'just too hard to build a house' in Australia, an issue she attributed to '40 years of unceasing new regulation'. "On their own, each piece makes sense. But when you put it together, builders face a ridiculous thicket of red tape that is preventing them building the homes we need,' she said. 'If we're going to tackle the fundamental problem — that Australia needs to build more homes, more quickly — we need to make a change." Speaking to Sky News Australia on Sunday, the Housing Industry Association (HIA)Simon Croft said he was thrilled to hear the government was taking on the challenge of cutting red tape. 'Hearing the Housing Minister Claire O'Neill yesterday, say how they want to cut red tape, slash red tape, it was music to our ears,' Mr Croft said. Minister O'Neil's comments about the need to cut red tape follow the release of a Productivity Commission report in February, which highlighted how the regulatory growth over 40 years had increased the cost, time and complexity of housing construction. The HIA industry and policy chief executive said the cumulative impact of new and existing regulations had "driven up the cost of construction by 40 per cent over the last five years'. 'It's the additional time spent for the builders,' Mr Croft said. 'They're spending more time in the offices, having to review new rules and regulations and actually being on site with the nail bags on and laying the slabs to get these homes built.' 'So just for instance, a brick wall; there's 20 standards that apply just to a single brick wall.' Mr Croft said while it was important for the government to get legislation right, they often overlooked the implementation and support mechanisms – such as the education and training required. 'There's just been a proliferation of more and more regulations… and implementation is often seen as an afterthought,' he said. 'What we want to see is implementation – as is (just as) critical, if not more critical than the design of the policy.' Mr Croft said he was not calling for the wholesale repeal of building regulations, but it did need to be looked at. 'Is it all working correctly? Can we make some efficiency gains? And there is some outdated regulation,' he said. 'How can we streamline our planning approvals and the rezoning around it, because it's taking far too long to get those single homes built and delivered and approved. 'Often our members say they can actually build the home faster than they can get it approved.' Speaking on Saturday, Ms O'Neil said what was required was 'three years of serious reform with the states and territories in local government'. 'We're up for that, and we know they are too,' Ms O'Neil said. The Albanese government has pledged to deliver 1.2 million new homes over the five years beginning mid-2024 as part of it's National Housing Accord – an agreement bringing together all three levels of government. However ABS Housing Data released at the end of May showed new dwelling approvals fell a further 6 per cent in April 2025. The decline means that after just 10 months of the National Housing Accord, the Albanese government is already more than 45,000 homes behind its target.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
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. Ku-ring-gai Council claimed its plan would create about 1569 more homes than the government's Transport Orientated 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 be 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.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Housing development Sydney: Ku-ring-gai Council backs alternative scheme to NSW government's transport-oriented development
Skyscrapers that rise as high as 28 storeys could soon mark the skyline of Sydney's north shore after a council supported a contentious rezoning plan that it says will save the majority of the region from 'over-development'. After spending more than a year battling a NSW government drive for increased housing density, Ku-ring-gai councillors have unanimously voted to support a counter housing strategy that paves the way for up to 24,500 new homes to be built around Lindfield, Gordon, Killara and Roseville railway stations. Ku-ring-gai Council has voted on its preferred planning controls that will affect development around Roseville station. Credit: Steven Siewert The strategy puts forward an alternative to the NSW government's transport-oriented development (TOD) planning scheme, which came into effect in May last year and has already earmarked 25 large, state-significant development proposals within the region's tree-lined streets. But the release of the council's own strategy has triggered fierce resistance from some residents and community groups due to the scale of density it proposes and concerns that town centres, including Lindfield, are being 'sacrificed' to meet housing targets. Despite the opposition, Ku-ring-gai Mayor Christine Kay said the council's alternative scheme would 'protect the area's heritage and environment' by focusing density near existing town centres. Under the alternative strategy – supported by councillors at a meeting on Thursday night – buildings as tall as 28 storeys would be permitted 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. Roseville, Gordon, Killara and Lindfield have all been rezoned as part of the NSW government's TOD program. Credit: Nick Moir Modelling by the council predicts its plans would create about 1569 more homes than the TOD scheme, which sets a blanket planning rule of six-storey buildings within a 400-metre radius of railway stations. Councillor Indu Balachandran – speaking at Thursday's meeting – said the counter-proposal would help preserve Ku-ring-gai's existing character and heritage, and that the government's strategy had 'failed to cut the mustard'.
