The Minns Labor Government's Transport Oriented Development Program (TOD) is unlocking more homes and supporting localised housing solutions following the completion by Canterbury-Bankstown Council of a master plan for Canterbury Station and TOD controls for Berala Station being finalised with Cumberland Council.
Earlier this year, the NSW Government formed agreements with 12 of the 13 councils with TOD locations in their local government area, for how these reforms would be implemented. Canterbury-Bankstown Council is the first council to take up the Minister of Planning and Public Spaces' challenge of completing its own masterplan that goes above and beyond the TOD provisions with the proposed plans providing capacity for a potential 3,200 new homes around Canterbury station.
Planning controls have also been finalised for the Berala TOD site in consultation with Cumberland Council, while the NSW Government continues to work alongside City of Canada Bay Council to finalise the North Strathfield TOD at the same time as the Homebush TOD Accelerated Precinct, both to be announced later this year.
Details of the planning proposals include:
Canterbury Station
Canterbury-Bankstown Council's masterplan goes above and beyond the TOD planning provisions providing capacity for a potential 3,200 homes, better community amenity and more jobs in the area.
These increased dwelling numbers have come from Council nominating areas within the master plan that go beyond the height and Floor Space Ratio limits proposed under the TOD program.
The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) has worked closely with Canterbury-Bankstown Council to support their local planning efforts and deliver more homes, as well as better open spaces, new footpaths and increased affordable housing to be retained in perpetuity.
Public consultation was undertaken by Council with feedback considered before final plans were submitted to DPHI by the October deadline.
DPHI is now assessing Council's plans with new SEPP planning controls to come into effect once amendments are made to the Canterbury-Bankstown Local Environmental Plan (LEP).
Berala Station
Cumberland Council will soon have greater capacity for its growing population with the finalisation of new TOD SEPP controls for Berala with the precinct set to receive over 9,200 new homes over the next 15 years.
Berala was included in the TOD program for its great location and capacity for growth close to public transport, shops and other essential services.
New residential flat buildings and shop top housing will be able to be built following zoning changes that allow for increased building heights and density.
This zoning change includes mandatory affordable housing provisions for developments with a gross floor area exceeding 2000 square metres.
Following consultation with DPHI and Cumberland Council, the 400m TOD SEPP boundary of the Berala precinct has been adjusted to make sure there is a logical boundary between the TOD precinct and surrounding areas. It also means there are no isolated sites at the edge of the boundary, providing the best urban design outcomes for the community.
North Strathfield
The North Strathfield TOD SEPP boundary will be finalised at the same time as the adjacent Homebush TOD Accelerated Precinct.
This is to make sure the community has a holistic understanding of how both tiers of the TOD program will impact their area.
The TOD SEPP precinct will apply to the eastern side of North Strathfield Station, while the Homebush Accelerated Precinct will provide uplifted planning controls for the western side of the station. Both precincts will commence simultaneously before the end of the year.
The TOD program is expected to deliver 170,000 homes across 37 stations over the next fifteen years and the NSW Government has been working closely with 12 of the 13 councils who came to the table on these planning reforms.
Housing affordability is the single largest cost of living concern for people of NSW with the impacts being felt across the state, whether it be students, workers, young families or people looking to downsize later in life.
These reforms are just one part of the Minns Labor Government's efforts to confront the housing crisis by speeding up the planning system, investing in social and affordable housing, and reforming NSW rental laws.
By June 2025, new planning controls will be in place across all of the 37 TOD SEPP precincts allowing for the creation of more homes and jobs. Local councils continue to have the opportunity to add to these areas with local planning controls determined through their own planning controls that provide for more homes.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully said:
"We have said from the beginning that these reforms are about designing local housing solutions for communities to deliver more well-located homes.
Cumberland, Canterbury-Bankstown and City of Canada Bay Council have all worked collaboratively with my Department on these planning changes. If we're going to tackle the housing crisis, we need to continue to see this kind of collaboration between local and state government.
"I congratulate Mayor El-Hayek for leading his Council through the process of developing comprehensive local housing plans in a relatively short time. This is exactly the approach we would like to see from every council - not just the 13 hosting TOD sites - as every level of government must be looking to what it can do to help deliver more homes, more quickly.
"The Transport Oriented Development program is expected to deliver 170,000 homes in the next fifteen years, the importance of this cannot be overstated as communities feel the pinch from the cost-of-living crisis."
