Ku-ring-gai NIMBY council singled out by NSW Premier Chris Minns for rejecting housing density

Since the policy was announced late last year for consultation, the Minns government’s density push has met resistance from Ku-ring-gai and other councils, where large swaths of housing within walking distance of train stations were prohibited or were very difficult. develop due to its heritage status.

Local planning maps of the Ku-ring-gai area show that most of the land surrounding each of its stations was beyond the reach of increased density.

But the increased height limits will apply to most heritage conservation areas in Ku-ring-gai council as they were located near transport hubs. However, city councils will continue to be responsible for evaluating applications for the development of projects in heritage areas.

Before the reforms, councils often rejected applications for medium-density housing development due to their strict planning controls.

Sydney YIMBY president Justin Simon said councils’ assessments of proposed developments in heritage zones should be examined in the future, urging the government to consider stripping them of those powers if they block developments for height reasons.

“Developments are often rejected for being out of step with the scale, height or volume of the surrounding urban landscape. Some have even cited the presence of tall buildings in another suburb across six lanes of traffic as detrimental,” Simon said.

“Such interpretations should be considered as a de facto rejection based on height and (space ratio). “They should be seen as such (and not be a valid reason for rejection) until councils can demonstrate some patterns for achieving six storeys and 2.5 FSR in those areas.”

Scully warned councils that heritage could not be deliberately used as an excuse to avoid responsibility for delivering more homes, or he would update the reforms to potentially remove more powers from councils.

“If this requires an update to the ministerial directive, to be absolutely clear, I will work with the Heritage Minister to make the appropriate updates,” he said.

Other councils that have enclosed entire suburbs under heritage conservation areas include the inner west “garden suburb” of Haberfield, the Balmain Peninsula, the Glebe, most of Hunters Hill and Woolwich, and much of the north coast. of Sydney on the east side of the Pacific Highway.

The only other transport hub that will have height limits applied immediately is Lidcombe station in the west of the city, which already allows for higher density in areas close to the transport hub.

Other councils singled out for higher density near their transportation hubs, such as Canada Bay, will not have height limits applied until the middle of next year because they reached agreements with the Minnesota government on local housing plans.