29 August 2025

In this Edition...

1. Woollahra station – a well-founded plan for well-connected housing

2. Federal Government comes out of the reform blocks after sluggish roundtable

3. Premier issues clarion call in battle against the “culture of no”

...and much, much more.

4. The growing senescence of inner Sydney
5. Western Sydney Airport – when will passengers arrive?
6. Quote of the week
7. Four more rezonings to fast-track housing
8. Council watch
9. Minns Government support for more certifiers and tradespeople
10. Spotlight on excellence - High Rise City Development
11. Members in the news

1. Woollahra station – a well-founded plan for well-connected housing

Well-located Woollahra

Rumours and hearsay gelled last weekend into a concrete plan to complete the construction of the heavy rail station at Woollahra.

The NSW Premier, surrounded by his Transport, Planning, and Housing Ministers, announced that the Government would rezone an 800 metre radius around the new station, which could deliver up to 10,000 new homes. 

The rezoning would be subject to a two-year consultation as plans for the station itself are formed. 

The NSW Government has also committed that it will introduce an affordable housing contribution in these areas, assisting key workers in an area where they have been excluded for decades because of a lack of new supply.

Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and be completed by 2029.

Urban Taskforce has been calling for more action on housing in Sydney’s east. Woollahra is an important missing link for addressing underperforming areas that have the amenity and the capacity to accommodate more people.

In writing an op-ed for the SMH on the Government announcement, State Political Editor, Alexandra Smith, spoke with Urban Taskforce CEO Tom Forrest, who challenged the NIMBY lines being trotted out by Woollahra Council that 10,000 new homes would not assist in housing affordability.

“Affordability” is that latest anti-housing catch cry from the eastern suburb NIMBYs.  We have already had Woollahra Council use heritage, character, traffic, and infrastructure, and last week we even heard about flooding risk in efforts to stymie housing supply!  Vested interests will claim whatever they can to try to shirk their fair share of housing. 

The affordability angle is nonsense in that it tries to isolate the eastern suburbs market from that of Greater Sydney.   As Tom told the SMH:

Supply places downward pressure on prices, which cascades through the suburbs. This was noted by the NSW Productivity and Equity Commission in its 2023 report, “Building more homes where people want to live”,

While the Woollahra station announcement is good news for the medium to long term, we must remain focussed on the here and now.

The impact of the HDA and the infill affordable housing bonus is starting to flow through. Yet more action is needed to support housing choice and diversity in Sydney’s west, through greater levels of investment by the State and Federal Government in housing-enabling infrastructure.

Regulatory reform is critical too, and we await the results of the bipartisan approach to reforming the EP&A Act with bated breath. ^#

And while we’re at it - the feasibility-killing array of fees, taxes and charges – coming from all levels of Government – needs to be curbed.

But at least on the planning framework for infill housing – things are looking up (literally and figuratively!)

2. Federal Government comes out of the reform blocks after sluggish roundtable

This week saw the Federal Government come out positively in three key areas that will help address the housing supply crisis.

First was the welcome four-year pause on any further changes to the National Construction Code. While identified at the roundtable, there was only a commitment to look at the impacts of the Code.

The fact that the Albanese Government decided to come out in favour of a freeze (even the ACTU were not opposed to the idea), is testimony to the strength and influence of the Federal Housing Minister Clare O’Neil, who has been vociferous on the downsides of the NCC churn when it comes to housing supply.

During the four-year pause, the Commonwealth will look to streamline the burgeoning code in consultation with stakeholders. Key initiatives will be to:   

• Streamline and use AI to improve useability of the 3-volume 2000-page NCC to assist tradies, small businesses and households.
• Remove barriers to the uptake of modern methods of construction, including prefab and modular housing that have cost savings built in with energy efficiency.
• Improve how code provisions are developed by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) and consider the appropriate cadence of future NCC updates.

Secondly, we saw Environment Minister Murray Watt announce that the Federal Government will accelerate the timeline on its reforms to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act)

The Commonwealth now plans to introduce the legislation to Parliament before the end of this year. The legislation was originally intended to be introduced in the middle of next year but, supported by the strong consensus in favour of reform at last week’s economic reform roundtable, the timeline will be brought forward.

Iniatives include

• Establishing a new "strike team" within the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to fast-track assessment of the more than 26,000 homes currently with the department.

• Ensuring better access to the existing rapid EPBC assessment pathway for new applications with new Ministerial guidelines to prioritise robust development applications that provide required information upfront.

• Piloting AI to simplify and speed-up assessments and approvals. 

Having streamlined, modern, fit-for-purpose environmental laws in place, that removes unnecesaary duplication, will still protect Australia’s natural environment, but it will also ensure faster assessments and approvals for national priorities like housing.

Finally, the 5% depsoit scheme for first home buyers  will also be brought forward by the Albanese Government.

Through the 5% deposit scheme, the Commonwealth will guarantee a portion of a first home buyer’s home loan, so they can purchase with a lower deposit and not pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance. Under the changes, all first home buyers will have access, with no caps on places or income limits. Property price caps will also be set higher in line with average house prices, providing access to a greater variety of homes.

While attention has been paid to the supply side, the Government still needs to be cognisant of demand side questions, and this program will assist first home buyers and send positive signals to the market to boost housing supply.

The Premier is on a clear winner taking on the vested NIMBY interests - arguing for more housing where people (especially younger generations) want to live, and it shows through in this address.

4. The growing senescence of inner Sydney

If a picture paints a thousand words, so too an ABS statistical heat map.

The ABS this week released its biannual Regional Population by age and sex for 2024.

In relation to Sydney, the data underlies the NSW Premier’s fears of “a city with no grandchildren”, with entire swathes of inner Sydney suburbs ageing to such an extent that those under the age of 14 represent a dwindling segment of the population - quote often less than 16%.

For example, only 9% of the statistical area of North Sydney/Lavender Bay consist of residents aged under 14. Compare this with suburbs around Campbelltown, where young people under 14 comprise almost 36% of the population.

The following heat map- where the lighter the colour, the fewer young people - shows the demographic cleft between younger Western Sydney populations and an ageing population in the more established suburbs.

Source: ABS

5. Western Sydney Airport – when will passengers arrive?

The Daily Telegraph spoke with Urban Taskforce CEO Tom Forrest on the looming issue of Sydney’s new airport opening with the likelihood that cargo, not passengers, will be the focus ofAustralia’s newest piece of aviation infrastructure.

Fingers are pointing at the lack of connectivity from Western Sydney airport to the rest of the city.

Urban Taskforce pinned much of the problem to the “City Deal” signed by the then Berejiklian and Turnbull Governments (along with the now dismantled Greater Sydney/Cities Commission) in 2018, which has left the airport hanging by a single metro thread to St Marys.

Not optimal.

6. Quote of the week

The NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully has been at his pugilistic best over the course of last few weeks, and he seems to be relishing any opportunity to take on vested NIMBY interests:

7. Four more rezonings to fast-track housing

On the back on major rezoning announcements at Burwood North and Woollahra, the NSW Government also announced this week that it would lead assessments for rezonings across sites at Glenfield West, Tallawong Town Centre, Warwick Farm, and Westmead South Precinct.

Westmead south precinct will see 125 hectares rezoned and transformed

Rezoning of the Westmean South Precicnt seeks to amend the Cumberland Local Environmental Plan 2021 (CLEP 2021) for the Westmead South precinct. This would increase housing supply and diversity, provide retail and commercial opportunities, and set development parameters for the new Metro site.

In relation to the Tallawong Town Centre rezoning proposal, the Government is seeking  to amend the planning controls in the Blacktown Local Environmental Plan 2015 to provide approximately 31.8 hectares of high-density housing around Tallawong Metro station. The proposal will provide approximately 6,700 dwellings across the precinct, an increase in 2,500 dwellings from the current yield projections.

The Glenfield West rezoning proposal seeks entails 85 hectares of currently vacant land to facilitate the development of an additional 1,300 residential dwellings within the precinct. This would increase the precinct’s total housing capacity to 5,200 dwellings with around 520 designated as affordable housing.

The Warwick Farm proposal seeks to amend the Liverpool Local Environmental Plan 2008 to support the renewal of approximately 3.9 hectares of land. The proposal aims to provide 672 homes, including 200 social housing units

The State Significant Rezoning Policy, introduced in September 2024, aims to fast- track the rezoning of key precincts, and existing planning proposals delayed in the planning system.

To date, 28 projects have been progressed as state rezonings, with the potential to enable the delivery of an estimated 56,000 homes and 71,000 jobs.

8. Council watch

Strathfield Council starts fiddling with their DCP to mandate 3-bedroom apartments

The Urban Taskforce Council Watch team is noting an increasing number of councils resorting to tweaking DCPs to thwart housing supply or pursue their own political ends.

This week the Mayor of Strathfield, Cr John Paul Baladi was talking up a proposed change to the Strathfield DCP that would force new residential projects with 10 or more dwellings must have up to 20% of apartments with three bedrooms under their development control plan.

We think this is social engineering and it is best left to the private sector to respond to demand. The fastest way to deliver on housing supply is to remove mandates for one-bedroom, two-bedroom or three-bedroom apartments and allow the private sector to flexibly meet demand without outcomes shaped by point in time concerns of a council.

While the Federal and State Governments have gotten the message about the impacts red tape is having on housing supply loud and clear, and are responding in due course, many local Governments are happily proposing more regulations and attempt to engineer outcomes at will.

This needs to end.

However, it was good to see however the Liberal Strathfield Mayor blast some of his colleagues to the east and north:

Although the Mayor was boasting the Strathfield Municipal Council was “pulling its weight”, the last time we check Strathfield was the sixth worst performing council in terms of approvals against National Housing Accord targets, having only approve 221 new homes of the 3,500 new homes required of them under the Accord.

People in glass houses …

The mayor could start by ensuring the soon to be released Strathfield Town Centre Masterplan is ambitious in terms of housing and jobs.  And also stroll down Parramatta Road and have a chat with the Burwood Mayor John Faker on how to best deliver housing.

Lane Cove Council takes second bite of the cherry          

IPART has just released its review of Lane Cove Council’s revised St Leonards South Precinct Contributions Plan (SLS CP).  

The review was in response to Council’s proposed amendment to its SLS CP, in which it sought a 19% increase in contribution rates on the plan already approved by IPART in 2021 to cover land acquisition and works costs. 

The new plan will raise $62.585 million – a $10 million increase on the previous ask.  All this paid for exclusively by would-be residents.

IPART has said that it approves the increase of contributions for the construction of 1,839 dwellings already underway, stating that “the SLS CP meets most of the assessment criteria”. 

In other words, for the price of a nice runabout ($24,150 for a studio/1 bedroom apartment) or a really nice car ($53,474 for a 3-bedroom apartment), YOU will be able to fund local infrastructure.   

Perhaps it’s lucky that the apartments are being built near a station …

The report is out for public consultation until 23 September 2025. 

9. Minns Government support for more certifiers and tradespeople

While not garnering the same attention as a new train station, equally important news this week was the announcement that the Minns Government would allocate $9.2 million across four years into initiatives aimed at increasing the number of building certifiers and speeding up the licensing of building tradespeople.

The certification process is a critical part of the housing supply chain, and more resources are welcome. If NSW is to deliver 377,000 new homes by 2029, it is critical that there are sufficient number of certifiers.

The NSW Government should also look at the regulations governing the work of certifiers, particularly the need to allow certifiers more flexibility to sign off on inconsequential changes without the need for excessive paperwork. The current requirement to get a DA for any change -however small  - is causing needless delays in an already tardy housing delivery regulatory system in NSW.

10. Spotlight on excellence - High Rise City Development

One Sydney Harbour by Lendlease and Mitsubishi Estate took out this year’s Urban Taskforce Development Excellence Award for Best High Rise City development.

One Sydney Harbour is a landmark residential development redefining Sydney's skyline with its trio of elegant towers. Architecturally striking, it offers luxurious residences with unparalleled harbour views and premium amenities.

The project prioritises high-quality design and construction, catering to discerning buyers seeking an exclusive lifestyle. Its prime location provides residents with seamless access to the city's vibrant cultural, dining, and entertainment precincts.

Emphasising sophisticated urban living, One Sydney Harbour integrates seamlessly with its waterfront setting, contributing to the area's prestige and offering a world-class residential experience.

Another superb addition to the Sydney CBD skyline.

Our thanks to members Property Fox for sponsoring this year’s Award.

Tom Forrest and Secretary of DPHI Kiersten Fishburn, with Lendlease’s Brett Rochford and Gemma Peña, together with Property Fox’s Benjamin Evans and Lachlan Worthington.

11. Members in the news

*Please note these articles may be paywall protected

“… The proposed tower, owned by Holdmark Property Group, contains 700 apartments and is located south of the city centre, alongside the rail corridor at 2-10 Valentine Avenue. A challenging, triangular site shaped the tower's tall, elegant profile ... 

To read more, click here:                  Architecture & Design, 22 August

"… High-profile developer Central Element is pushing ahead with its plans for a 140-apartment tower in a tightly held Lower North Shore enclave … 

To read more, click here:                       The Urban Developer, 26 August

" … As the Gold Coast stands on the cusp of a transformative moment in its urban evolution, Walker Corporation chief executive and managing director David Gallant sees “big opportunities” ahead...

To read more, click here:                The Urban Developer, 25 August

" … Conquest has expanded its Eastlakes Shopping Centre redevelopment to include 1000 apartments—a significant increase from the 800-unit proposal the group announced earlier this year ... 

To read more, click here:                The Urban Developer, 27 August

Follow our new LinkedIn Page