After months of rhetoric, the rubber is finally hitting the road and the state government is homing in on seven or so Metro stations where it will prioritise housing development and turbocharge density.

An obvious question: why stop at seven? To keep things manageable, perhaps, in this first stage. That’s not to say other areas won’t be rezoned for higher-density housing; they will have to be if Sydney has any hope of meeting its targets (or more bluntly, of accommodating its citizens).

The government is honing in on seven or so Metro stations that will be targeted for priority housing development.Credit: Steven Siewert

But the list of hotspots under the microscope suggests the government is eyeing the low-hanging fruit – arguably so low it’s already rotting on the ground.

Waterloo is at the north end of the Green Square urban renewal area, which has done its share of heavy lifting on housing, and is the site of a large public housing estate redevelopment - already announced.

Bella Vista and Kellyville have long been regarded as undercooked on housing density, given the awesome capacity of the Metro line that opened in 2019. The government already removed a cap limiting the nearby Showground precinct to 5000 new homes.

Labor identified Crows Nest as ripe for more density before the election, and it surely is, given the imminent Metro connection and towers in neighbouring St Leonards.

Sydenham is interesting: it’s one of the best connected places in Sydney, surrounded by factories and single-storey homes. But its building heights are limited by the airport flight paths.

Bankstown has started adding more density but, like Crows Nest, could be ramped up given it will soon have Metro trains every four minutes.

QOSHE - Seven suburbs are a good start, but Labor is picking the low-hanging fruit - Michael Koziol
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Seven suburbs are a good start, but Labor is picking the low-hanging fruit

6 5
01.11.2023

After months of rhetoric, the rubber is finally hitting the road and the state government is homing in on seven or so Metro stations where it will prioritise housing development and turbocharge density.

An obvious question: why stop at seven? To keep things manageable, perhaps, in this first stage. That’s not to say other areas won’t be rezoned for higher-density housing; they will have to be if Sydney has any hope of meeting its........

© The Sydney Morning Herald


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