Following the NSW Government's announcement of its masterplan for the Hornsby Transport Orientated Development (TOD) Program, Hornsby Shire Council welcomes the plan's alignment with the vision embodied in Council's own Hornsby Town Centre Masterplan. This validates the extensive work Council has undertaken – but Council continues to call on the NSW Government for more support in delivering essential infrastructure.
The NSW Government's masterplan for Hornsby outlines opportunities for 6,244 new homes in appropriately designed residential towers. This number exceeds Council's carefully planned target for Hornsby Town Centre by over 1,000 dwellings, a figure which had been developed through comprehensive studies and consultation with stakeholders, landowners and the community.
Council's vision aims to create a vibrant and sustainable hub that is attractive to work and live within, recognising that a successful centre needs essential supporting infrastructure that includes employment zones, road improvements, parking, pedestrian and cycle networks, and open spaces.
Hornsby Shire Council Mayor, Warren Waddell, said the Hornsby Transport Orientation Development Precinct includes some notable amendments to Council's vision, including increased heights, lowering employment numbers and affordable housing requirements, softening of commitments to improve the transport interchange and introducing plans for commuter car parking in the middle of the Centre. Additionally, these changes have been made in the absence of consultation with elected representatives or our community.
"We have not seen testing of the impacts of these changes on our roads, parking provision, bus circulation or amenity of adjacent areas. The commitment by the Government to the purchase of additional open space within the Hornsby Town Centre is however welcomed, and we look forward to further commitments by the Government to deliver all necessary infrastructure required to support growth," said Mayor Waddell.
The Hornsby Town Centre Masterplan has a focus on addressing the Shire's housing needs, considering the surrounding bushland. The development is limited to Hornsby Town Centre, with towers planned to be strategically clustered near the train station, prioritising vital supporting infrastructure, such as employment, road improvements, parking, pedestrian and cycle networks, and the inclusion of open spaces.
