NSW Planning Department Directors appear to be busy presenting at industry forums reassuring developers that everything is on track to “solving” the housing crisis. 

One such industry seminar attended by planners, planning lawyers and developers seemed quietly chuffed with the plans’ windfall profits coming their way as a result of the biggest rezoning in the history of Sydney. The TODs (Transport Oriented Developments) and LMH (Low to Mid Rise Housing) upzonings were on their way.    

The three young NSW Department of Planning planners peppered their talk and slick PowerPoint presentations with the propaganda about just how wonderful the future was going to be when every Sydney suburb was covered in high rise. 

One planner explained how they were working to design prefabricated architectural Pattern Books that would promote “gentle density” and make every place so much better. They would even design privacy (i.e. louvered blinds) and include a diversity of housing types for a diversity of families including divorced parents sleeping in separate rooms. The NSW Government’s Pattern books sounded so much fun like planners were creating delicious cooking books.  If developers took up the pattern book designs their developments would be “fast tracked”. Another planner described how Mums and Dads would be feeling so good knowing they had contributed to solving the housing crisis by demolishing their homes and building multi dwellings in their backyards.  

The three planners enthusiastically reminded the audience just how popular the TODs and LMR housing were – except for “Ku-ring-gai”. 

Another said excitedly “This is only the beginning”meaning there’ll even be more over development ‘reforms’ to come.

Finishing the talk one planner expressed his “consultation fatigue”.  Afterall, he had to read nearly 8000 submissions against the TOD and LMH plans.

When a question was raised about landscaping, the three planners gasped and looked horrified expressing disdain for words such as “canopy” and “deep soil landscaping” because “that was just too complicated”.

Not one planner in the audience asked about heritage, biodiversity and climate protection.

Concluding the talk, one developer in gave advice to the three planners presenters.  They should underplay ‘context’ and ‘beauty’ when presenting their planning work.  “Yes”, the planners obediently agreed.  Better for communities to get used to the fact that “every place is going to change” whether they like it or not. 

“Everything’s in the pipeline” they reiterated, meaning that high rise is coming to every suburb of Sydney. 

Does that mean it’s coming down the sewer pipe?  Hope it doesn’t explode! 

26 September 2024