Sydenham to Bankstown revitalisation corridor must keep urban density

GUEST OBSERVER

The revised Urban Renewal Corridor Strategy for Sydenham to Bankstown must keep urban densities that support the proposed Metro Rail.

The important Priority Precinct along the Sydenham to Bankstown rail corridor must support an urban density particularly around the new Metro Rail stations.

We are however concerned that the planning is taking a long time since the exhibition of the first Draft Strategy eighteen months ago.

The corridor is a good case study for how new Metro Rail infrastructure can stimulate new urban density but it seems the planning process could take three years from early planning to implementation.

Precincts like Campsie are having further investigation work undertaken by the Department of Planning and Environment and it is unclear if this could lead to a third round of exhibitions.

Former Governor of the Reserve Bank, Glenn Stevens, in his report to the NSW Government raised concerns about the time planning processes took relative to the ups and downs of markets.

The development industry gets a clear signal when a draft plan is exhibited that the government supports development in priority locations but actual planning approvals often have to wait for some years.

While there has been a reduction of around 2,000 new homes in some areas the overall proposed number of new dwellings at 35,400 is still a robust number. The Urban Taskforce urges the NSW Government to not make further reductions following the exhibition of this second draft.

The move away from medium density housing in Hurlstone Park and Dulwich Hill in favour of single dwellings due to community concerns about local character could be a signal that the government’s proposed ‘Missing Middle’ approach for medium density housing may not be preferred by existing communities of single homes.

The Draft Strategy seems to leave some areas unclear. The definition of Medium-high rise housing, which is the tallest, is not included. The Draft Strategy states that ‘specific building typologies for each individual Station Precinct’ are included in the revised strategy but is unclear where these typologies are. The Draft Strategy also states that detailed master plans are to be prepared for Canterbury, Campsie, Belmore and Lakemba Station Precincts so these will presumably occur some-time in the future.

The Urban Taskforce is keen to be involved in discussions with the NSW Government to ensure that the planning approach to Metro Rail related urban renewal is planned in a timely manner and with appropriate densities to accommodate future growth.

We are also keen to be involved in precinct planning around other stations on the Sydney Metro line at North Sydney and Crows Nest/ St Leonards. These are areas where there are excellent opportunities for quality urban development but the planning process for these precincts is unclear.