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According to the NSW Planning Minister, one simple zoning change could generate almost 70,000 homes by 2029.
In Australia, density is often synonymous with high-rise apartment blocks, but one State Planning Minister believes Aussie cities have a lot more potential.
Paul Scully, the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, recently expressed disappointment that “low-rise density has been ignored in the face of a growing housing crisis”.
“It’s surprising and disappointing that housing types synonymous with Sydney’s housing past are not permitted to be part of Sydney’s housing future because of local planning laws.”
In the past, inner Sydney suburbs like Glebe, Surry Hills and Redfern were all built from low-density terraced houses, which continue to be a rich source of heritage and community today.
At present, however, only two of 32 Local Environment Plans (LEPs) within Sydney permit terraces and one- to two-storey apartments in low-density zones.
According to the NSW government, this oversight is particularly concerning because a staggering 77 per cent of Sydney’s land is zoned for low-density residential dwellings.
“If we were to put a terrace on 5 per cent of lots of land zoned low density, we would get 67,500 new homes, which is more than 20 per cent of what we need to deliver by 2029,” the state government stated.
“We are not using our land well and it is costing us.”
Though recent plans for a high-density development pathway are currently stalled, the NSW government apparently still has density within its sights as a salve for supply issues.
Mr Scully shared that he plans to take action on the issue, stating he “will be writing to councils whose LEPs do not permit terraces and small apartment blocks in these residential zones, to make it clear that these types of houses are critical to address the housing crisis”.
He noted that increasing density in the city’s suburbs would serve demographics who are particularly struggling for housing options at present.
“More housing in existing suburbs gives young people, especially, a choice to live near their parents – not forced to live with their parents.
“It also saves essential workers from having to travel long distances to get to centrally located places of work, like hospitals and schools,” he said.
“Greater density is better for the environment and ultimately costs the taxpayer less.”
The minister’s claim comes in the wake of a growing focus on infill development in recent months. Just in September, an alliance of business, union and thinktank groups called for a re-emphasis on townhouses, terraces and dual occupancies, which they called the “missing middle” of Australian housing.
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