NSW Ministerial media release ‘3,300 extra homes unlocked in Ku-Ring-Gai’, 15 November 2025

https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/3300-extra-homes-unlocked-ku-ring-gai

FOKE Response

The Minns Labor Government and Ku-ring-gai Council are together unlocking more than 24,000 new homes with the finalisation of the alternative Transport Oriented Development scheme.

The Minns Labor Government provided no evidence for why Roseville, Lindfield, Killara and Gordon were selected as a Transport Oriented Development (TOD). The supposed evidence remains to this day as ‘Cabinet in Confidence’.

The finalisation of the scheme brings all 13 councils on board with the Transport Oriented Development program.

Communities across the 13 council areas feel betrayed by their councils and the NSW Government for pushing pro-developer before pro-community agenda.

The scheme replaces the original Transport Oriented Development planning controls for precincts at Gordon, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville, and provides for an additional 3,300 homes. It also prioritises new open space and infrastructure, while protecting the area’s heritage.

Ku-ring-gai Council has created 3,300 homes – more than what was required.

The scheme provides abysmally small pockets of open space. It does not provide sufficient or adequate infrastructure to relieve traffic congestion.

The scheme does not protect the natural, built and cultural heritage of Roseville, Lindfield, Killara and Gordon.

The scheme allows for taller, mixed-use buildings in existing centres and seeks to protect high-value heritage conservation areas and buildings.

The heights of 28 storeys in Gordon and 18 storeys in Lindfield are unacceptably high and will tower over the region, destroying their visual amenity.

The scheme does not protect high-value heritage areas and buildings.

Key features of the new scheme include:

Focusing new housing in Gordon and Lindfield, allowing for more high-density mixed-use development, with buildings in the centres ranging from 6-24 storeys (and up to 28 storeys on a key site at Gordon).

The heights will destroy the canopy of Ku-ring-gai.

The scheme does not protect high-value heritage areas and buildings.

A more moderate housing uplift in Killara and Roseville, with buildings up to 8 storeys in these areas so they transition smoothly between high-density and low-density and heritage areas.

Yet the spot rezonings of the State Significant Developments will eliminate the principle of smooth transition between high-density and low-density and heritage areas.

Boosting affordable housing, with up to 10% of dwellings required for affordable housing on key sites, depending on site feasibility.

10% of affordable housing is mere tokenistic.

Rezoning some residential areas within 800 metres of train stations for apartment buildings.

The original TOD was only 400 metres.

Transitioning building heights near low-density areas to reduce the impact of new development on neighbouring properties.

The State Significant Developments undermine this principle.

Testing of the alternative scheme indicates it will provide capacity for approximately 24,728 homes, compared with 21,430 homes possible under the previous TOD controls.

Why did Ku-ring-gai Council allow for an increase in capacity?

More than 290 written submissions were received by Council following public exhibition of the alternative scheme in April 2025. Council considered the submissions in finalising the alternative scheme submitted to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure in June 2025.

Many of the submissions were based on an earlier preferred scenario – that was nothing like what Ku-ring-gai Council then presented to the DPHI.

The NSW Government has had months to decide the plans and now the community is being ambushed with ten minutes to midnight amendments with no consultation with council and/or the community. It is a shocking denial of natural justice in not having a say in what is essentially will have seismic impacts on our properties, our neighbourhoods and our sense of place.

Importantly, all development applications lodged or State significant development applications with valid Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements will not be impacted and will continue to be assessed under the TOD SEPP controls.

The SSDs should be removed and considered invalid now if the NSW Government is to show good faith with Ku-ring-gai residents.

To make sure the scheme delivers the best outcome for Ku-ring-Gau the NSW Government made a few changes to Council’s plan including:

• Increasing height and floor space controls for key sites in Gordon and Lindfield to allow for well-designed taller buildings.
  
  
• Changes to heights to improve transitions to surrounding heritage items and heritage conservation areas.
  
  
• Amendment of some affordable housing contribution rates to deliver affordable housing on council-owned land.

The community does not know what the increased heights and floor space controls are for key sites in Gordon and Lindfield.

The community needs more information on changes to heights to improve transitions to surrounding heritage items and heritage conservation areas.

Different rules for private developers and Council. 

The new planning controls are set out in the Council’s Local Environmental Plan and enable the alternative scheme to take effect. For more information on the Transport Oriented Development program, visit NSW Planning.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“This is a great outcome which will deliver more homes close to transport, jobs and services while also protecting heritage, and responding directly to what the people of Ku-ring-gai said they value most.

“Importantly the new scheme is set to deliver an additional 3,330 and even more affordable homes.

“The Minns Labor Government introduced Transport Oriented Development to increase the supply of well-located homes in areas with existing infrastructure and this scheme does exactly that.”

This is a very poor outcome for Ku-ring-gai. It will transform the green lungs of Sydney into a concrete wasteland. It will not protect heritage.

It certainly does not respond to what the people of Ku-ring-gai said they value most – their natural environment and their heritage.

The area does not have the existing infrastructure  to support this scheme and will destroy an area of Sydney that should have been protected.