Transit-Oriented Development Submission
Earlier this year, Sydney YIMBY submitted to the NSW Government’s consultation on their Transit-Oriented Development Program.
These planning reforms will deliver 185,000 much-needed homes in communities with existing infrastructure, around metro and heavy rail stations.
The best place for new homes is near existing transport infrastructure, because it allows people to live near where they work and shop. This reduces urban sprawl, and car dependency, which is critical to address both the housing and climate crises, and to improve people’s quality of life.
This is best-practice planning policy in action.
Part 1 (the Accelerated Precincts Program) comprises eight station precincts, including Bankstown, Bays West, Bella Vista, Crows Nest, Homebush, Hornsby, Kellyville, and Macquarie Park. This will be zoned for medium-to-high-density up to 1200m from the station.
Part 2 (the “TOD SEPP”) comprises a new State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) will apply new planning controls to within 400 metres of 31 station precincts across Sydney and greater NSW.
Our Submission
Our submission raises five key issues for the State Government to consider:
Master-planning of the 8 station precincts under Part 1 of the program should be as ambitious and consistent as possible, with a minimum of 15-storey buildings permitted directly at stations, and a minimum of 5 storeys permitted on all relevant lots within the 1200m radius.
Height limits and Floor Space Ratios (FSRs) for areas affected by Part 2 of the program should be increased to 30m and an FSR of 4, and developers should be able to choose one of these standards to apply, allowing greater architectural flexibility and supporting high-quality development.
We particularly welcome that the new controls will apply in heritage conservation areas (HCAs), and recommend that the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) monitor development applications in these areas to ensure that HCAs do not impede additional housing.
DPHI should use this program to develop capacity to deliver similar rezonings and master-planning on a consistent, rolling basis. To this end, DPHI should shortlist further station and town centre precincts that are suitable for additional development, and work with other agencies to identify priority infrastructure that would unlock additional precincts for development.
DPHI should set ambitious, firmly enforced housing targets for councils to ensure that this program leads to additional housing and not a reallocation of development within LGAs.
You can read the full submission here.
