Read what a Sydney Morning Herald journalist asked FOKE. Read FOKE’s reply.
From: Michael Koziol, Sydney Morning Herald
Sent: Monday, June 10, 2024
To: Kathy Cowley, President, FOKE
Subject: QUESTIONS: Where we have gone wrong with affordability
MICHAEL KOZIOL, SMH JOURNALIST: What do you / FOKE think about Ku-ring-gai Council’s handling of the housing reforms? Do you think the council’s opposition has been effective? What do you make of the decision to take legal action?
KATHY COWLEY, FOKE PRESIDENT: Ku-ring-gai Council has done an outstanding job researching and explaining the impact of the proposed State Government housing reforms on Greater Sydney, NSW and Ku-ring-gai. This has been based on professional advice in law, town planning, heritage and environmental studies.
Ku-ring-gai Council has also comprehensively and responsibly communicated the impacts of the TOD SEPP and the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy to its residents, something that many Councils have yet to do.
Ku-ring-gai Council is one of the first councils to have held community information sessions to explain NSW’s housing reforms. It also conducted a survey to ascertain residents’ views on these housing proposals. Ku-ring-gai Council’s early and timely consultation ensured that Ku-ring-gai residents (particularly those impacted by the TOD) were fully informed. This enabled them to make their submissions on the State Government’s Low and Mid-Rise housing policy by 23 February 2024. Residents, however, were denied the opportunity to make a submission on the TOD housing policy. Nor has there been any formal response from the NSW Government relating to residents’ submissions on the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy.
Numerous metropolitan councils have now given evidence to the Upper House Inquiry on the TOD Program with most stating that the “one size fits all” planning instrument is a ‘blunt’ policy that will result in poor planning outcomes.
Yet, despite these concerns, Ku-ring-gai is the only council holding the NSW Government to account through taking legal action. FOKE supports this action.
MICHAEL KOZIOL, SMH JOURNALIST: What do you think about the government’s targeting of Ku-ring-gai as the only council not to ‘sign up’ to the Transport Oriented Development Program? Do you think the area has been used as a political weapon?
KATHY COWLEY, FOKE PRESIDENT: Ku-ring-gai Council has done an outstanding job researching and explaining the impact of the proposed State Government housing reforms on Greater Sydney, NSW and Ku-ring-gai. This has been based on professional advice in law, town planning, heritage and environmental studies.
Ku-ring-gai Council has also comprehensively and responsibly communicated the impacts of the TOD SEPP and the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy to its residents, something that many Councils have yet to do.
Ku-ring-gai Council is one of the first councils to have held community information sessions to explain NSW’s housing reforms. It also conducted a survey to ascertain residents’ views on these housing proposals. Ku-ring-gai Council’s early and timely consultation ensured that Ku-ring-gai residents (particularly those impacted by the TOD) were fully informed. This enabled them to make their submissions on the State Government’s Low and Mid-Rise housing policy by 23 February 2024. Residents, however, were denied the opportunity to make a submission on the TOD housing policy. Nor has there been any formal response from the NSW Government relating to residents’ submissions on the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy.
Numerous metropolitan councils have now given evidence to the Upper House Inquiry on the TOD Program with most stating that the “one size fits all” planning instrument is a ‘blunt’ policy that will result in poor planning outcomes.
Yet, despite these concerns, Ku-ring-gai is the only council holding the NSW Government to account through taking legal action. FOKE supports this action.
MICHAEL KOZIOL, SMH JOURNALIST: What do you think about the government’s targeting of Ku-ring-gai as the only council not to ‘sign up’ to the Transport Oriented Development Program? Do you think the area has been used as a political weapon?
KATHY COWLEY, FOKE PRESIDENT: As Ku-ring-gai is one of the safest Liberal seats in NSW, it is unsurprising that the Minns Government would use Ku-ring-gai as a political target. The NSW Government rejected Ku-ring-gai Council’s requests under Freedom of Information (GIPA Act) to substantiate its TOD program claiming, “cabinet in confidence”. Minister Scully also rejected Ku-ring-gai Mayor’s repeated attempts to negotiate extra time to strategically plan for the TOD.
At the Extraordinary Ku-ring-gai Council meeting of Tuesday 4 June 2024, Mayor Sam Ngai was asked to explain why his request for deferred commencement of the TOD was denied by the Planning Minister. Mayor Ngai stated that he believed the TOD was politically motivated as demonstrated by the Planning Minister’s reluctance to negotiate with Ku-ring-gai. Please see Mayor Ngai’s complete response HERE.
MICHAEL KOZIOL, SMH JOURNALIST: Arguably this has reinforced some people’s preconceptions about “north shore NIMBYs”. How do you respond to that accusation / perception?
KATHY COWLEY, FOKE PRESIDENT: The term ‘NIMBY’ is a term that is being used to divide the community and promote the government and developer lobby interests.
‘Sydney YIMBY’ is a recently formed lobby group advocating for “abundant housing in Sydney”. Yet it has been incapable of presenting any evidence to support their claims that increasing housing supply will result in housing affordability. Their disregard for built heritage, environmental protection, climate change, cumulative impacts of development and commensurate infrastructure provision, lacks any consideration for future generations.
This YIMBY movement is now weaponizing the world ‘‘NIMBY’ to denigrate, intimidate and to admonish individuals and groups who appreciate and advocate for the preservation of heritage and environment of their neighbourhood or those who simply value the qualities of where they have chosen to live and raise a family.
The consequence of this disrespectful and misleading ‘YIMBY vs NIMBY’ binary is polarising debate. It is vexatious and resulting in personal threats, including one to myself, which I have reported to the NSW Police.
Ku-ring-gai residents are passionate that development should be respectful of heritage and the environment as borne out in council surveys.
Ku-ring-gai has “taken its share” of development. It has exceeded the new dwelling target set by the Labor Government in 2004 for 10,000 new dwellings by 2031. It also exceeded that target by approximately 3000 dwellings to date.
There was a new target set in 2021 by the Greater Sydney Commission in the North District Plan for a further 3000 dwellings to 2026.
MICHAEL KOZIOL, SMH JOURNALIST: What do you / FOKE think about the housing target for Ku-ring-gai of 7600 new homes in the next five years? And if you support the target, where should they go?
KATHY COWLEY, FOKE PRESIDENT: The new housing target of 7600 for Ku-ring-gai is double the housing target set by the Greater Sydney Commission of 3000 dwellings over the next five years. We doubt this target, based on housing completions, can be achieved.
With the high cost of land, inflation, interest rates, costs of materials (a 40% increase in the last three years), building companies going out of business, the shortage of skilled labour, significant land banking and the property industry ‘drip feeding’ the supply of new homes, as well as the average cost of a new home (now $1.6million) we believe the housing targets set by the State Government, not just for Ku-ring-gai but for all councils, is unrealistic to achieve within the next five years.
FOKE supports LEP rezonings based on strategic local government planning, who have the expertise to do ‘place’ centred planning and have the knowledge to recommend adequate infrastructure, service provision, recreational facilities, open space, protection of heritage and neighbourhood character, environmental preservation, transport and parking etc. Community consultation is also a requirement. This has not been the case for the TOD.
