Revealed: The lower north shore spots set for more apartments in medium-density housing reforms.

By ANNA USHER

Terraces and apartment blocks up to six storeys will be allowed in Mosman and North Sydney LGAs after the NSW Government finalised medium-density housing reforms that will see more than 100,000 new homes in the next five years.

From Friday, planning rules across the state will be changed to allow dual occupancies, terraces, townhouses, and residential flats within an 800-metre radius of 171 town centres and stations, including Spit Junction, Cremorne Town Centre, Neutral Bay Town Centre and Northbridge Shopping Plaza.

The changes will see 24-metre-high unit complexes within 400 metres of town centres – and blocks of up to three-storeys (9.5 metres high) within 800 metres of residential zones.

Mosman Mayor Ann Marie Kimber told Mosman Collective that the Council has significant concerns about the state government’s “clumsy” planning approach.

“Council is not convinced the construction industry has either the workforce or the materials to build the avalanche of new planning approvals that will stem from the Government’s one-size-fits-all approach,” she said.

“Mosman Council is deeply concerned about the impact of this density on traffic, local amenity and the liveability of the Mosman Village, noting that no major infrastructure has been announced to match this proposed growth.”

Premier Chris Minns said medium-density housing had long played an essential role in delivering homes throughout NSW, but most local councils had effectively banned them in recent decades.

“The homes built under these reforms will be close to transport, open spaces and services that people need, creating better connected and more liveable neighbourhoods by making the most of existing critical infrastructure,” Minns said.

Employment zones will be excluded from the new development controls. The changes will broadly apply to heritage conservation areas (HCAs); however, local and state heritage items are excluded.

In selecting the lower north shore sites, the government considered public transport frequencies and travel times, critical infrastructure capacity and constraints, local housing targets and distribution, and access to goods and services.

Planning and Public Spaces Minister Paul Scully said there had been increasing demand for medium-density housing close to public transport hubs, services and infrastructure.

“Allowing low- and mid-rise housing in more locations will help increase the number of homes in our state, improve affordability for renters and buyers and give people a choice on the type of home they want to live in,” Scully said.

According to forecasts by the Housing Industry Association (HIA), NSW is set to commence construction of just 252,060 dwellings in the five years from 2024-25.

But that number is more than 120,000 short of the 377,000 homes the state committed to build by 2029 under its share of the National Housing Accord.

“Mosman Council maintains its view that the state government, along with its federal counterparts, have to address the major levers of negative gearing, immigration, foreign ownership, rent controls and capital gains tax before housing can become more affordable,” Mayor Kimber said.

“This knee-jerk response to the housing crisis and abandonment of long-term strategic planning in our town centres simply creates bad urban outcomes and puts even more pressure on our communities.”

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