The NSW Government has proposed radical changes to the planning system which stand to heavily impact the character and density of Naremburn. Submissions are due 23rd February and we strongly encourage everyone to make a submission. The NPA held a special meeting on the 15th February to watch a Council led Webinar and then separately discuss these changes particular to Naremburn. The comments below are a result of this meeting and we would love to hear more from our members to inform our submission. We will be uploading our draft submission early next week to assist you with guidance based on community feedback and our Q&A to Council.
In the meantime Willoughby Council’s guide and slides are a good place to start. Willoughby Council will be uploading their presentation to this site early next week. We encourage all residents of Naremburn to comment below to help inform our submission but also to make your own submission directly via the State Government Portal by the 23rd February. Please pass this information on to your friends and neighbours.
State Government Proposal and Submissions Portal – Submit by 23rd February!
Submit here scroll down under “Have your Say”:
Guides
Naremburn Progress Associations Submission Guide
https://naremburnprogress.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024-02-22-Planning-Changes-v3.pdf
Review in tandem with Willoughby Council’s specific guide to the changes below under “Online Information Session”
Willoughby Council’s Guide – Meeting 15th February 2024
North Sydney Council’s Guide – Meeting 14th February 2024
https://yoursay.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/housing-reform
Industry and Advocacy Group Guides For your Information
Please note these guides do not necessarily reflect the view of the association but are for your information as you formulate your own submission
Better Planning Networks Advice
The NSW Government is proposing state-wide changes to the NSW Housing Policy. It is seeking feedback from Councils and the public on the proposed housing changes by Friday 23 February 2024. BPN understands that the changes, proposed to increase housing numbers and housing types, as applied in the Policy, will override all Local Environmental Plans (LEPs). We believe they will dramatically impact on character, amenity, environment, liveability, heritage and infrastructure.
We urge interested parties to read the information available, to consult with their local Council regarding its position on the reforms, lobby State MPs and, most importantly, lodge a submission.
Low and mid-rise housing changes
The Explanation of Intended Effect is on exhibition until Friday 23
February 2024 (pdf 8MB).
The changes will:
• allow Dual occupancies in all low density residential zones (R2) across NSW on blocks of more than 450sqm.
• allow terraces, townhouses, two storey unit blocks near transport hubs and town centres in R2 low density residential zones across the Greater Sydney region, Hunter, Central Coast and Illawarra (the six cities region)
• allow mid-rise buildings (3 to 6 storey) unit blocks within 400m walking distance of a railway station or town centres in R3 medium density zones and employment zones.
• allow 4 to 5 storey buildings between 400m and 800m of a railway station or a town centre.
• reduce requirements for deep soil landscaping and tree targets from 50% to 7% in mid -rise housing (3-6 storey housing).
All information about the proposed changes are on the NSW Government website, along with information about how to make a submission, and an online form for enquiries regarding the proposed changes.
Will the webinar be made available for post scheduled viewing.
Does Council have any plans to nominate areas for higher density development in negotiating a compromise with the State Government for the additional housing that is needed and must be provided for.
Thank you Rob – Yes we understand Council will make the Webinar available afterward for viewing. The meeting itself with discussion pertaining to Naremburn specifics will not be recorded.
I love living in my conservation area. All houses in it are located very close to each other. The proposed State reform will adversely affect my livelihood. It will take only one R3 multi-storey house being built in our street to ruin all of the private open spaces in the neighbouring streets.
As a Naremburn resident I’m very concerned about the density planning for 3 key reasons:
1. the walkability claims. We live in a gully and it is uphill to Cammeray and Northbridge shops. The impracticality of considering those areas close enough to shop is ridiculous. We buy $240+ per week for groceries. That is not something we can carry. Even half of that – it is too steep to walk. I love Naremburn shops, but just for a coffee.
2. The idea that there are no minimum sizes for these new apartment buildings is absolutely irresponsible. A minimum size for living is required to call something a 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom or 3 bedroom…. anything that is not regulated to a reasonable minimum size will mean all other, larger and older apartments are going to be impacted by having our units undervalued.
3. The current green canopy is already devastated and continuing to be decimated by the Warringah Freeway Upgrade. Adding more development at this time will seriously damage our air quality and quality of living. There appears to be no controls for ensuring and maintaining an ecological balance for our health and wellbeing, as well as that of the local wildlife.
3.
I am very concerned that the expressway is going to force more traffic into Naremburn & Willoughby riad & Brook Street which are already over loaded & cut Naremburn off from Cammeray. The proposed development reforms are going to over stress the existing infrastructure which is inadequate!
I agree wit all of the above. While the need to address housing is important and necessary there is already in the construction or planning phases of large developments in the area adjacent to Naremburn with flow on effect to the infrastructure which has not been addressed at any satisfaction to the residents. Within the infrastructure issues of concern is health. RNSH is already functioning at maximum capacity as a state wide tertiary referral hospital as well as providing essential services to our community. Land in Herbert Street allocated for the future expansion of the hospital services has been earmarked for retail and residential development by the government. This cannot be allowed to happen. It must be retained for the hospital’s future growth.
Liz Submitted by email:
While many of these comments refer to Naremburn in general they are more specifically speaking to the Naremburn ‘island’ between Brook Street and Willoughby Road:
*The ‘one size fits all’ approach of the planning reforms is inappropriate – and unworkable – particularly when it incorporates older suburbs like Naremburn where infrastructure is outdated and already struggling to maintain the existing housing density.
*The services and amenities in Naremburn – Buses, Parks, Sewerage – are already under pressure. The additional stress on these from the huge Channel 9 development once completed, has yet to be fully realised.
*The extensive relaxation of controls by the State Government weakens the local input from the councils/community to ensure the heritage, the character and the amenity of of the communities.
*The ability to redevelop any property in the area will create a huge degree of uncertainty and anxiety in the overall community going forward well into the future. If a neighbour sells there will be no guarantee that your property will be spared from overshadowing or privacy issues. In addition I can envisage that no one will be prepared to pay the high prices for Naremburn properties (except developers) without any assurances of what their neighbouring properties will look like into the future. The currently strong and stable Naremburn community would be destabilised and could start to fray at the edges. The very reasons for wanting to live in Naremburn – its character, its long heritage, its strong community – would dissipate.
*The loss of heritage would be extensive and permanent.
*Naremburn is already a suburb with a low open space ratio. It already contains a great depth of housing options – apartments, housing commission apartments, semis, free-standing semis, rear dwelling dual occupancy houses and houses. This depth of housing is already making good use of the available land. Only small areas of private green spaces and tree canopies are being maintained – these are essential in an area where there are inadequate green spaces.
*The 400m, 800m and 1200m zones have been defined on a ‘walkability’ scale. These zones are measured as the crow flies and do not indicate the actual distances that will have to be walked. Of particular concern is the 800m zone measured from local centres as it is simply not feasible to carry a household’s shopping for 800m. In addition, These walkability zones in no way will ever ensure that the residents within these zones will not rely on cars – adding to the volume of traffic that is a growing issue in Naremburn, Cammeray and Crows Nest, particularly around our schools and local centres.
Infrastructure
1. Sewerage System
*Naremburn’s sewerage system is old and is currently at breaking point. It doesn’t have the capacity to cater for further development and the associated influx of people. Prior to any development proceeding the sewerage system needs to be updated. I assume this would be at enormous cost. Who will be responsible for ensuring an effective updated sewerage system going into the future, and who will cover the cost of this overhaul?
2. Streets: cars and street parking
*There is no additional capacity for cars on the streets of the Naremburn island area. The streets are generally old and narrow (with the exception of Slade Street), and are already lined on both sides with parked cars. This has created single lane only sections on certain streets which is often dangerous for cars and pedestrians alike to negotiate
eg. a. The blind corner between Slade and Central streets b. Outside the community centre in Central St c. It is often necessary to back up to allow two cars to pass each other in Clare Lane d. Garland Road is virtually a permanent single lane only road with cars parked on either side even before the completion of the Garland Road development which will only add pressure to this situation, given only 1 car space is available to residents.
*There are only two points of access from the Naremburn ‘island’ and existing traffic already backs up at both these points.
A couple of more personally specific queries :
*Pattern Book
I believe there is a Pattern Book which has been produced for developments under the new reforms. My understanding is that should developers proceed with one of the design templates from the Pattern Book it will be regarded as a complying development. Once again this is a one size fits all approach which disregards neighbouring blocks, and appears to prevent any potential for modifications, where appropriate, to be made to enable neighbours to retain some level of privacy / sunlight / liveability.
*Rear Dwelling Dual Occupancy Houses in Naremburn
In Naremburn, for a period of time in the early 2000s, residents were in the position where they could subdivide their land and build a dwelling at the rear of their properties. Under Willoughby planning controls these dwellings were restricted in height and in order to comply were not permitted to have a second storey, or to go up at a later date – I was assured by Council that there would be no possibility of a second storey ever being built on rear dwelling dual occupancy houses.
Will the Planning Reforms override the current one storey requirement? It seems possible that these existing dual occupancy dwellings could be replaced with 2 storey duplexes? Is Council working to ensure that this won’t be the case? Any change to the height requirement of existing dual occupancies would have a huge impact – on privacy and on overshadowing – for many of their neighbouring properties.
*Ambulance Station
On the western boundary of my property is the Ambulance Station. It is clear that this site will be sold by the State Government and redeveloped. I believe it is zoned R2/HCA but would require confirmation of this … and understand that there is still a lot to be clarified regarding R2/HCA overlap in regards to the implementation of the new planning reforms I have always understood that the site would be redeveloped at some point, but had the reassurance of Willoughby’s planning controls.
The Station is, as you know, a large building but despite its mass, its configuration still allows sufficient sunlight to its neighbouring properties and ensures their privacy. Terraces and townhouses would seem a more appropriate development to manage this but a 2 storey apartment block would create significant overshadowing and loss of privacy to all the surrounding houses, and be totally out of keeping with the streetscape. Is there anything that can be done to negotiate the development plans on this site?
Th Webinar and Slides are now both available via Willoughby’s Website link under “Online Information Session”