Bradfield Electorate: Urban Planning

Many of my constituents have contacted me to express their concerns about the New South Wales Labor government's proposed radical changes to planning rules, which would have a profound impact on my electorate of Bradfield, including the entire local government area of Ku-ring-gai and significant portions of Willoughby and Hornsby local government areas. Under the new transport oriented development rules, six-storey apartment buildings will be permitted within 400 metres of 31 train stations across the metropolitan area, including four in my electorate—Roseville, Lindfield, Killara and Gordon. These six-story apartment buildings will be permitted even if the areas today are zoned R2 for low-density residential.

As well as the new transport oriented development rules, there are very wide ranging changes to planning rules proposed. Within 400 metres of a train station or designated shopping centre, apartment buildings of up to 21 metres in height will be permitted in areas zoned as high-density residential, medium-density residential and general residential. Between 400 and 800 metres away from a train station or designated shopping centre, apartment buildings of up to 16 metres will be permitted. In areas between 400 and 800 metres away from a train station or shopping centre, on any block larger than 500 square metres in size the new rules will allow an existing freestanding home to be replaced with several terrace houses, each up to 9.5 metres in height, with multidwelling housing, or with so-called 'manor houses'—small two-storey apartment blocks. Duplexes can be built on any residential block as long as it's at least 450 metres in size.

There's been very poor consultation with affected communities by the New South Wales Labor government. It released two discussion papers in December last year. The transport oriented development discussion paper specifically says that residents are not invited to comment on the proposals, only councils, and that the changes will take effect from 1 April this year. The other paper only allowed comments to be received up until 23 February 2024. These are some of the most profound changes proposed to the planning system for many decades, but very little time has been allowed for their impact to be understood or for citizens to make comments on them.

There are serious questions about the process. How were the 31 stations chosen? Who made the choices? How were the stations allocated across the urban areas of Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong? Why has there been no public process and no opportunity for citizens to make submissions? There's been no proactive attempt by the New South Wales government to inform residents of Bradfield of the nature or extent of the changes proposed. This falls far short of the normal standard expected in consulting with affected communities in relation to major infrastructure or planning changes. These changes would be far reaching. The amount of notice given to citizens is inadequate. The time frame for consultation is too short, and there are serious issues that need to be carefully considered. I have written to New South Wales Premier Minns, expressing my concerns about the impact of these changes on Bradfield.