Ku-ring-gai Council is presenting information about the five rezoning scenarios around Roseville, Lindfield, Killara and Gordon stations.

Community consultation closes on Tuesday 17 December at midnight.

Online Webinar + Q &A

Public Meetings

Drop in ‘Q & A’

About the Public Exhibition

Ku-ring-gai Council’s alternative housing scenarios to the Transport Oriented Development (TOD) are now on Public Exhibition for the community to comment on.

Council background notes are HERE

Council’s planning principles

Ku-ring-gai Council has developed seven principles to achieve this.

These are:

• Support local centre revitalisation
• Avoid environmentally sensitive areas
• Minimise heritage item impacts
• Preserve heritage conservation areas
• Minimise tree canopy impacts
• Manage transition impacts
• Ensure appropriate building heights

Scenario 1

• Retention of existing NSW Government Transport Oriented Development (TOD) policy which zones areas within a 400m radius of stations for 6-8 storey development without minimal protection for heritage or environmental areas
  
  
• This scheme was introduced in May 2024 and rezones low-density areas within 400m of the stations for apartment buildings.
  
  
• It will deliver 23,200 new dwellings that the NSW Government requires Ku-ring-gai Council to deliver over the next 15 years.
  
  
• If developers supply an additional 15 per cent of homes as temporary affordable housing, this six storey height limit can be increased to eight storeys.
  
  
• Council is concerned that this policy will encourage the demolition of 410 homes in Heritage Conservation Areas (HCAs) and allow a further 136 heritage items to be surrounded by high-rise development
  
  
• Council is concerned that this policy will place development in highly sensitive environmental land
  
  
• Council is concerned that this policy will unfairly impact on some property owners by placing owners of low-rise areas directly alongside sites zoned for high-rise unit blocks
  
  
• This policy also does not meet any of Council’s planning principles, including preserving or minimising impacts on heritage or tree canopy, revitalising local centres or ensuring appropriate building heights.
  
  Download this map and use the zoom function for more detailed information.
  
  

Scenario 2a – Safeguard & Intensify

• Protects 78% of heritage neighbourhoods and allows building up to 25 storeys in town centres.
  
  
• Under this scenario, around 78% of Heritage Conservation Areas (HCAs) within 400m of the four stations will be protected from high-rise apartment zonings.
  
  
• The HCAs proposed to be protected generally have a high concentration of listed heritage items or are located more than 200m from the relevant station. 
  
  
• In other residential areas near stations, apartment buildings will be permitted but subject to new planning controls. These controls will ensure buildings are less dense than the buildings allowed under the NSW Government’s existing controls.
  
  
• These two measures will help protect heritage and tree canopy, and also result in a reduction in new dwellings in residential areas around stations compared to Scenario 1.
  
  
• The dwellings previously earmarked for residential areas will be transferred to the same commercial centre in which the residential area is located. For example, dwellings previously earmarked for Roseville residential areas will instead be transferred to sites within the Roseville town centre.
  
  
• This will result in maximum building heights of between 10-25 storeys in the middle/core of the centres and therefore help to revitalise and strengthen these centres. 
  
  
• In some areas, NSW Government TOD controls will be retained.
  
  
• This scenario meets most of Council’s planning principles, with the exception of the principle relating to HCA preservation which has been partially met.
  
  
• Find out more about the scenario in the explanation below (click to enlarge). Alternatively download this map and use the zoom function in the reader for more detailed information.
  
  
• Will deliver 23,200 new dwellings that the NSW Government requires Ku-ring-gai Council to deliver over the next 15 years.
  

Scenario 2b – Minor Amendment to Existing NSW Government Controls

• A minor amendment to the NSW Government’s TOD policy, which protects 31% of heritage areas and allows buildings up to 15 storeys in town centres.
  
  
  
• Scenario 2b represents a minor variation to the NSW Government’s policy, which is outlined in Scenario 1.
  
  
• Under Scenario 2b, some 31% of heritage conservation areas (HCAs) within 400m of stations will be protected from high-rise development.
  
  
• The protected properties are mainly towards the outer boundary of the 400m radius, but also includes some areas closer to stations such as the block containing the Killara Lawn Tennis Club, which has a large number of heritage items.
  
  
• Under this scenario, and particularly closer to stations, the NSW Government’s controls will largely be retained. As a result of this, there will continue to be impacts on heritage items and areas, as well as tree canopy.
  
  
• Dwellings previously earmarked in the protected HCAs will be transferred into nearby commercial centres, leading to building heights between 6 – 15 storeys in these centres.
  
  
• Due to its wide-scale retention of the NSW Government’s existing planning controls, this scenario does not meet Council’s planning principles to minimise impacts on heritage items and areas, or to have acceptable transition impacts on low-rise landowners living near apartment sites.
  
  
• Will deliver 23,200 new dwellings that the NSW Government requires Ku-ring-gai Council to deliver over the next 15 years.
  
  
• Find out more about the scenario in the explanation below (click to enlarge). Alternatively download this map and use the zoom function in the reader for more detailed information.
  
  

Scenario 3a – Preserve & Intensify

• Preserves all heritage areas and delivers a high level of tree protection. However, it means very tall buildings in town centres – up to 45 storeys in Gordon.
  
  
• Under this scenario, all properties in Heritage Conservation Areas (HCAs) within 400m of stations will be protected from high-rise development. Many residential areas east of the North Shore train line, in particular at Roseville and Killara, will largely be preserved in their existing form as a result of this approach. 
  
  
• This will in turn help protect sensitive environmental areas and existing tree canopy coverage.
  
  
• Within 400m of stations, apartment buildings will be permitted in non-heritage areas. However, in most of these areas, the density of these developments will be less than allowed under the NSW Government’s controls, again helping to protect tree canopy.
  
  
• These two measures will result in a significant reduction in dwelling yield in residential areas compared to Scenario 1.
  
  
• These dwellings will instead be moved to nearby commercial centres. 
  
  
• To limit the potential height of towers in smaller centres as a result of this move, some dwellings will be transferred from Killara centre to Gordon centre, and from Roseville centre to Lindfield centre.
  
  
• However, even with this dwelling transfer, building heights in the middle/core of the centres will be high – ranging from 15 storeys in Killara to 45 storeys in Gordon.
  
  
• Will deliver 23,200 new dwellings that the NSW Government requires Ku-ring-gai Council to deliver over the next 15 years.
  
  
• Find out more about the scenario in the explanation below (click to enlarge). Alternatively download this map and use the zoom function in the reader for more detailed information.
  
  

Scenario 3b – Preserve, Intensify & Expand

• Preserves all heritage areas but to limit building heights in town centres to a maximum of 20 storeys. Spreads apartment buildings further from stations.
  
  
• Under this scenario, as in Scenario 3a, all properties in Heritage Conservation Areas (HCAs) within 400m of stations are protected from high-rise development. This will in turn help protect sensitive environmental areas and existing tree canopy coverage.
  
  
• Like in Scenario 3a, dwellings previously earmarked to be located in HCAs, and resulting from limits on the density of new apartment buildings, will be transferred to commercial centres. In addition, as in Scenario 3a, there will be a distribution of dwellings between these centres to limit the heights of buildings in smaller centres. 
  
  
• However, this scenario differs from Scenario 3a in two aspects. 
  
  
• Firstly, to limit building heights in centres, some proposed dwellings have been shifted from these centres to suitable residential areas located between 400m and 800m from stations. By doing this, maximum building heights are lower in this scenario, compared to Scenario 3a. For example, Scenario 3a proposes a maximum height of 45 storeys in Gordon, while this scenario proposes a maximum of 20 storeys.
  
  
• Secondly, a small area of Gordon east of the station has also been protected as it has been identified as a possible extension to HCAs. This change will also ensure there is a contiguous area east of Gordon station which is protected from high-rise development.
  
  
• Will deliver 23,200 new dwellings that the NSW Government requires Ku-ring-gai Council to deliver over the next 15 years.
  
  
• Find out more about the scenario in the explanation below (click to enlarge). Alternatively download this map and use the zoom function in the reader for more detailed information.

Council is inviting community feedback at www.krg.nsw.gov.au/housingfeedback by 17 December 2024.

References

Options released to deliver new housing through good planning, 20 November 2024