GORDON Heritage in Peril Walk

Sunday 4 May 2025

  • 9.45am – 12.15pm, 1.5-2 hours, covering ~2.5 km
  • Moderate with some gentle slopes
  • Wear comfortable chairs. Bring raincoat/umbrella in case of rain. Water bottle too.

    NOTE this is not a traditional ‘heritage walk.

    It is a ‘Heritage in Peril’ walk where we ask you to look at Gordon’s built and natural heritage and understand the imminent threats posed by the NSW Government’s Transport Oriented Development (TOD) rezoning between Roseville to Gordon that demands an additional 23,200 dwellings (estimated 60,000+ additional residents) that will be built over the next 20 years and which will irreversibly transform Ku-ring-gai that will be unrecognisable to what we see today.

Introductory Questions
  • How many live in Gordon?
  • How many live in Ku-ring-gai?
  • How many live in another Sydney local government area?
  • Who is a National Trust member?

PLEASE

  • take photos of the tour and email them to info@foke.org.au
  • let us know if you DO NOT WISH TO BE IN A PHOTO
  • try and stay together on the walk
Itinerary
  • Gordon Railway Station, Henry Street, St Johns Avenue, Pacific Highway, Park Avenue, Pearson Avenue, Khartoum Avenue, Werona Avenue, Robert Street, Nelson Street, Rosedale Road, McIntosh Street, Werona Avenue, Gordon Railway Station

About Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment (FOKE)

Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment (FOKE) is a dedicated community voluntary organization advocating for the preservation of Ku-ring-gai’s unique heritage and environment. Founded to protect the Ku-ring-gai’s architecture – know to contain some of the best domestic 20th Century architecture in the nation. FOKE has been a leading voice against overdevelopment since it was formed in 1994. Today, FOKE actively campaigns for stronger heritage and environmental sustainability protections.

Thank you to the FOKE Committee Members in attendance.

  • Who is a member of FOKE?
  • Who is for the first time attended a FOKE event?
PLEASE write a letter about what you have learnt on this walk to:

Dear …………………………….

On Sunday 4 May 2025, I attended the Australian Heritage Festival ‘Gordon Heritage in Peril Walk’ organised by Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment (FOKE).

During this walk I was distressed to learn …………………………………, amazed to discover ……………………………. and very concerned about ……………………………………

I respectfully ask you to ……………………………………….

Yours sincerely

……………………………………….

ALSO PLEASE:

  • Sign onto Save Greater Sydney Coalition email savegreatersydneycoalition2@gmail.com
  • Send your photos of this walk to Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment (FOKE) info@foke.org.au
  • Send copies or your letters to FOKE info@foke.org.au
  • Sign onto receiving FOKE Newsletters HERE
  • Join FOKE as a member. Details at www.foke.org.au
  • Join Save Greater Sydney Coalition Email savegreatersydneycoalition2@gmail.com


Acknowledgement of Country

Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment (FOKE) acknowledges the Darramuragal or Darug people as the traditional custodians of the land on which Gordon stands, paying respect to Elders past, present, and emerging.

For tens of thousands of years, the Darramuragal or Darug have nurtured this Country, traversing its tracks and ridgelines to connect communities and sustain cultural practices. We express deep regret for the profound loss and disruption the Darramuragal or Darug people when timber cutters cleared their forests, altered the fire regime, and took this land for farming, disregarding their deep spiritual and cultural connection to Country.

The first land grants were made in 1821. Land was used mainly for timber-getting until the 1840s. After 1840, with the clearing of the valuable timber, orchards and farms were established

Unlike modern economic notions of ownership, the Darramuragal or Darug people lived in harmony with the land, without attachment to possession.

We are grateful that the forests and trees have regrown, fostering a strong affinity for place amongst the many who now live in Ku-ring-gai. We honor the Gameraigal‘s enduring legacy, reflected in the ancient pathways that underpin Gordon’s roads and railways, including those along the North Shore line – a railway line of outstanding scenic beauty.


We commit to respecting their ongoing connection to this land, its tall Blue Gum High & Sydney Turpentine Ironbark forests, waterways and wildlife.

Stop 1: Gordon Railway Station
  • Gordon Railway Station Group, STATE Heritage listed
  • station building, including a signal box, and platforms 2/3, completed c. 1909; an overhead booking office, completed c. 1910; reconstructed late 19th century timber waiting room; Markings of imported British steel manufacturers are visible, both Lanarkshire, and Dorman Long & Co., Middlesbrough; Gordon Railway Gardens
  • Opened in 1890 was a catalyst for Gordon’s development with its Federation style architecture
  • Local historical societies are also known to include the station complex in historical tours of the local area, thereby demonstrating the high esteem held by particular members of the community for the Gordon Railway Station
  • View on top of overhead platform looking towards the east
  • Building heights 3-28 storeys
  • Density FSR range: 0.85:1 to 8.0:1
  • Additional new dwellings: 9,012
  • Extent within 800 metres from stations
  • The railway line was part of Ku-ring-gai’s transformation into a garden suburb. The railway was crucial for commuters, aligning with town planner John Sulman’s vision for Ku-ring-gai as a garden suburb
  • 1927 electrification of line in preparation for opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge
  • 2004 Gordon Railway Station has undergone accessibility improvements, including lifts.
  • 2014, the bus stop on the station’s western side was demolished to make way for a three-storey carpark and bus interchange. The new interchange opened in early June 2015
  • Gordon Station is part of Ku-ring-gai’s Green Corridors, supporting biodiversity including its Critically Endangered Blue Gum High Forest and Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest (STIF)


Stop 2: Henry Street

Stop 3: St Johns Avenue
Stop 4: Pacific Highway
  • Traffic
  • 1959 of the Farmer & Company store, which later became Myer department store. In the 1960s Gordon was a bustling centre
  • In 2006, Ku-ring-gai Council submitted a Draft Local Environmental Plan and Draft Ku-ring-gai Development Control Plan for Gordon Town Centre. The plans were prepared in response to a direction from the Minister for Planning to provide more housing in and around key commercial centres and to help increase retail and commercial development to cater for the needs of the local community.
  • Gordon Centre – 28 storeys
  • Ku-ring-gai Council Chambers
Stop 5: Cnr Pacific Highway & Park Avenue
Stop 6: Cnr Park Avenue & Pearson Avenue
  • Former Anchor designed former Gordon Library
  • 3a,3b,5a, 7 Burgoyne and 1&3 Pearson Avenue and 4 Burgoyne Lane, Gordon, STATE SIGNFIICANT DEVELOPMENT

Stop 7: Park Avenue

Stop 8: Corner of Park Avenue and Rosedale Road
  • Annie Wyatt House
  • Gully behind her house
  • Blue Gum High Forest
  • Gordon is home to Sydney’s largest flying fox colony and the Council in conjunction with the Heritage Council of NSW acquired land in Gordon in 1986 to preserve the existing colony of grey-headed flying foxes. Recently a portion of land adjoining Flying Fox Reserve was acquired by Ku-ring-gai Council to further safeguard the flying foxes, which are now listed as a threatened species.
  • Bradfield Memorial
  • Former NSW Premier Holman
  • Roberts Grant Conservation Area(PDF, 79KB)
Stop 8: Khartoum Street
Stop 9: Robert Street
Stop 10: Gordon Recreational Park
  • Old Gordon Picture Theatre


Stop 11: Nelson Street


Stop 12: McIntosh Street
Stop 13: Werona Avenue
  • Old Picture Theatre
Conclusion


Thank you for joining the “Gordon Heritage in Peril” walk. Gordon’s heritage—its Federation homes, leafy streets, and historic landmarks like the railway station—defines its unique character. However, the Ku-ring-gai Preferred Scenario (3b refined), updated April 4, 2025, with 24,562 dwellings (… for Gordon), building heights up to 8 storeys, poses significant heritage threats.

The May 2025 deadline, agreed in the Ku-ring-gai Council Vs NSW Planning Minister’s Mediation Agreement, leaves little time for major changes, and SSD proposals could further undermine heritage preservation. Council has urged the DPHI to reject current SSD applications and impose a moratorium on new ones, but the outcome remains uncertain. FOKE encourages you to support heritage conservation efforts, such as advocating for stronger HCA protections and interim heritage orders.


Summary


Key Issues from Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment (FOKE) on Ku-ring-gai Council’s TOD Scenario 3b (Refined) for Gordon


  1. Threat to Heritage Conservation Areas (HCAs) and Local Character
    Preferred Scenario (pressured by DPHI and to be approved by NSW Minister for Planning) aims to protect all Heritage Conservation Areas by shifting development away from these zones, but FOKE is concerned that high-density development within 400–800m of Gordon Station could compromise the suburb’s heritage integrity. Gordon’s historic character, defined by its Federation and inter-war architecture and garden suburb layout, risks being eroded by overshadowing, visual intrusion, or pressure from adjacent high-rise buildings, which clash with the area’s low-density aesthetic.


  2. Abandoning Federal, NSW and local environmental protections
    FOKE is gravely concerned about the environmental impacts of the Preferred Scenario (pressured by DPHI and to be approved by NSW Minister for Planning) on Gordon’s critically endangered ecological communities, including the Blue Gum High Forest and Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest, both listed as critically endangered under state and federal legislation.


    The intensified development risks further loss of tree canopy, vital for maintaining Ku-ring-gai’s biodiversity and mitigating urban heat. FOKE warns that clearing or fragmentation of these habitats, even indirectly through expanded development zones, could accelerate biodiversity extinction, threatening native species such as powerful owls, microbats, and other flora and fauna dependent on these ecosystems. The lack of comprehensive environmental studies exacerbates these risks, leaving Gordon’s ecological assets vulnerable.


  3. Climate Threats, Particularly Bushfire Risks
    FOKE is deeply concerned about the climate-related risks posed by Preferred Scenario (pressured by DPHI and to be approved by NSW Minister for Planning), particularly the increased bushfire threat in Gordon due to its proximity to bushland and the presence of dense vegetation, including Blue Gum High Forest and Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest. The intensification of development, with high-density buildings up to 800m from the station, could heighten bushfire risks by placing more residents in fire-prone areas without adequate mitigation measures. FOKE argues that the absence of climate risk assessments, including bushfire hazard studies, in the TOD planning process endangers Gordon’s community and undermines resilience to climate-driven extreme weather events.

    Ku-ring-gai is the ‘lungs of Sydney’. Ku-ring-gai’s giant trees keep Sydney cool. More important than ever with extreme heat waves.

  4. Insufficient Environmental and Infrastructure Studies
    FOKE emphasizes the absence of critical studies (e.g., environmental, traffic, parking, water, sewerage, and utilities) to support the intensified development proposed in the Preferred Scenario (pressured by DPHI and to be approved by NSW Minister for Planning), which includes apartment buildings up to eight storeys (or 10 with affordable housing provisions) within 800m of Gordon Station. Without these studies, the scenario risks unsustainable development, straining local infrastructure and exacerbating environmental degradation.


  5. Overdevelopment and Community Impact
    The scale of development in the Preferred Scenario (pressured by DPHI and to be approved by NSW Minister for Planning), contributing to ~24,562 dwellings across Gordon, Killara, Lindfield, Roseville is viewed by FOKE as overdevelopment for Gordon (especially 800 metres from Gordon Station. Extending high-density zones to 800m from the station could disrupt the suburb’s low-density residential areas, leading to increased traffic, parking challenges, and reduced amenity for residents, prioritising state-mandated housing targets over local community needs.


  6. Lack of Genuine Community Input and Transparency
    Although the Scenario 3b was the community’s preferred option during the November–December 2024 consultation, FOKE questions the council’s process for selecting the refined scenario, suggesting it may not fully reflect community preferences. The condensed 21-day feedback period (ending April 22, 2025) restricted meaningful input from Gordon residents, particularly those within the 800m rezoning zone, whose concerns may be diluted by submissions from less-affected areas.


  7. Undemocratic State Government Influence
    FOKE views the TOD policy underpinning the Preferred Scenario (pressured by DPHI and to be approved by NSW Minister for Planning) as a top-down, state-imposed framework that overrides local planning controls. This approach limits Ku-ring-gai Council’s ability to protect Gordon’s unique environmental and heritage values, with the NSW Government’s push for high-density development near stations prioritising housing quotas over the suburb’s character and sustainability.

  8. Undermining of Strategic Planning by State Significant Developments
    FOKE is deeply concerned that State Significant Development Applications, processed by the NSW Housing Delivery Authority, bypass Ku-ring-gai Council’s strategic planning processes, including Scenario 3b’s framework. In Gordon, such developments could override local controls, leading to inconsistent, developer-driven projects that conflict with the council’s vision for balanced growth, heritage preservation, and environmental protection.


  9. Failure to Provide Genuine Affordable Housing
    FOKE criticised the Preferred Scenario’s approach to affordable housing, arguing that the provision for additional storeys (up to 10) in exchange for affordable housing lacks enforceable mechanisms to ensure meaningful outcomes. They contend that the TOD framework prioritises developer profits over delivering genuinely affordable housing for Gordon’s residents, particularly low- and middle-income households, risking the production of high-cost apartments that fail to address local housing needs.


  10. Global Property Investments Overriding Community Interests
    FOKE is alarmed that global investment in Ku-ring-gai’s property market, facilitated by the state’s TOD policies, overrides the interests of Gordon’s community. The push for high-density development in Scenario 3b attracts international developers and investors, driving up property prices and prioritising luxury apartments over community-focused housing. This trend threatens to displace local residents, erode community cohesion, and transform Gordon into a speculative investment hub, undermining its livable, heritage-rich character.


  11. Corruption-Prone Development Processes
    FOKE is concerned about the potential for corruption in the development processes associated with the NSW Government’s planning reforms, driven by the influence of powerful developer interests and the state’s streamlined approval mechanisms. The bypassing of local planning controls through State Significant Developments and the lack of robust oversight in the TOD framework create opportunities for undue influence, favoritism, or opaque decision-making. In Gordon , this could result in approvals that prioritise developer profits over community welfare, heritage preservation, or environmental sustainability, eroding public trust in the planning process.


  12. Proposed Open Space Acquisitions as Insufficient Mitigation
    Scenario 3b includes plans to acquire sites for open space to mitigate the impact of increased density. However, FOKE views these measures as inadequate to offset the environmental and social impacts of high-density development in Gordon, particularly given the potential loss of tree canopy and increased pressure on public amenities due to population growth.


  13. Abandonment of Heritage in NSW
    FOKE is highly critical of the broader trend of heritage abandonment in NSW, which they see as exacerbated by the Preferred Scenario (pressured by DPHI and to be approved by NSW Minister for Planning) and the state’s TOD, Low to Mid-Rise and dual occupancy policies. The prioritisation of high-density development over heritage preservation threatens Gordon’s significant Federation and inter-war architectural legacy. FOKE argues that the NSW Government’s failure to strengthen heritage protections, combined with weakened local planning controls, risks the irreversible loss of Gordon’s cultural and historical identity, aligning with a statewide pattern of neglecting heritage assets.

    The ‘wicked problem’ of isolating heritage properties.


  14. Poor Planning Practices
    FOKE contends that the Preferred Scenario (pressured by DPHI and to be approved by NSW Minister for Planning) reflects poor planning practices, characterized by a lack of integrated, evidence-based strategies to balance growth with environmental and social outcomes. The absence of comprehensive studies on infrastructure capacity, environmental impacts, and climate risks, coupled with the rushed 21-day consultation period, undermines the planning process’s credibility. In Gordon, this results in a development framework that fails to account for the suburb’s unique ecological and heritage constraints, risking haphazard, unsustainable urban growth.


  15. Undemocratic Nature of the NSW Housing Delivery Authority
    FOKE is deeply concerned about the undemocratic nature of the NSW Housing Delivery Authority, which processes State Significant Developments and exerts significant influence over the Preferred Scenario (pressured by DPHI and to be approved by NSW Minister for Planning) implementation. The authority’s ability to override local council decisions and bypass community consultation undermines democratic governance in Gordon. FOKE argues that this centralized, developer-friendly approach prioritises state housing targets over the needs and voices of Gordon’s residents, eroding local autonomy and accountability.


  16. Widespread Loss of Heritage and Character Across Sydney
    FOKE emphasises that heritage tours, such as those organized in Ku-ring-gai, vividly illustrate what is at stake, showing residents the tangible heritage and character that will be lost under the Preferred Scenario (pressured by DPHI and to be approved by NSW Minister for Planning). This issue extends beyond Gordon, affecting every suburb and neighborhood across Sydney. The state’s TOD policies, which prioritise high-density development over local heritage, environmental, and community values, threaten to homogenize Sydney’s unique suburbs, replacing distinctive neighborhoods with generic high-rise developments. This widespread loss undermines the cultural, historical, and social fabric of the city, diminishing its livability and identity.

  17. Cumulative impact of increased housing densification across Greater Sydney and how Sydney is an integrated landscape.

References:
Transport Oriented Development (TOD) Background Information
Transport Oriented Development (TOD) background information
Ku-ring-gai Council’s Preferred Scenario for Gordon:

Ku-ring-gai Council sought community feedback on proposed changes to the Ku-ring-gai Local Environmental Plan (KLEP 2015), regarding a Preferred Scenario for Transport Oriented Development (TOD) around Roseville, Lindfield, Killara and Gordon stations between 31 March to 22 April 2025. This was after a public submission to consider five alternative scenarios in December 2024.

The KLEP 2015 has been the key planning document that guides how land can be used and developed across Ku-ring-gai. Central to this LEP is its zoning and planning control maps, which assess new development proposals and land acquisition.

Following the close of public exhibition on 22 April 2025, Ku-ring-gai Council is now preparing a new Local Environment Plan as an alternative to the NSW Government’s Transport Oriented Development (TOD) affecting the 400 metres surrounding Gordon, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville Railway Stations. This must be completed before May 2025 or otherwise the TOD controls will come into effect.

Ku-ring-gai Council’s artist impression of Ku-ring-gai Council’s Preferred Scenario for Gordon looking south-west, April 2025:

  • Gordon: 9,012 dwelling target; 28 storey maximumRoseville: 3,353 dwelling target; 8 storey maximum
  • Killara: 2,778 dwelling target; 8 storey maximum
  • Lindfield: 9,419 dwelling target; 18 storey maximum
  • Roseville: …

Ku-ring-gai Council’s Preferred Scenario for Gordon – Land Zoning recommended for the new Local Environment Plan:

Ku-ring-gai Council’s Preferred Scenario for Gordon – Height of Building recommended for the new Local Environment Plan:

Ku-ring-gai Council’s Preferred Scenario for Gordon – Floor Space Ratio recommended for the new Local Environment Plan:

Ku-ring-gai Council’s Full Preferred Scenario for Gordon Report recommended for the new Local Environment Plan:

Ku-ring-gai Council’s Preferred Scenario Summary:



Showing the interaction between Ku-ring-gai Council’s Preferred Scenario and the (Blue: Indicative Low to Mid Rise Housing (LMR) removed as a result of TOD rezoning; Brown Indicative MR areas retained; Hatched: Heritage Conservation Boundary (HCA):



See the full Preferred Scenario Alternative to the TOD SEPP, Councillor workshop 26 May 2025:

Councillor Briefing 26.3.25Download



Gordon is a part of a group of 4 ‘TOD’ Railway Stations’

Appendix D_ Architectural Design Statement and SEPP …Download

    Australian Heritage Festival 2025

    The Australian Heritage Festival, 18 April-18 May 2025, focuses on the theme “Unearthed”, which focuses on revealing lesser-known histories and stories, such as FOKE’s 30 years of advocacy and connections to:

    • 1920s: Ku-ring-gai resident, Annie Wyatt (1885-1961) forms the Ku-ring-gai Tree Lovers’ Civic League
    • 1945: Ku-ring-gai resident, Annie Wyatt instrumental in forming the National Trust (NSW)
    • 1997: National Trust (NSW) recommended 27 precincts in Ku-ring-gai be classified as Urban Conservation Areas (UCAs), more than any other local government area in NSW
    • 2000: FOKE, Winner, NSW Heritage Office Cultural Heritage Conservation Award “Heritage Watch over our place of National Significance – Ku-ring-gai” Keep Australia Beautiful Council (NSW) (NSW) Metro Pride Award PRIDE Awards
    • 2007: FOKE nominated Ku-ring-gai for the Australian National Trust’s “Most Endangered Places” list due to the NSW Government’s urban consolidation polices, which threatened Ku-ring-gai’s unique built and natural heritage. The National Trust of Australia (NSW) further underscored the national significance and vulnerability of Ku-ring-gai’s Urban Conservation Areas within the context of the Original Blue Gum High Forest by nominating them for the “Top Ten Heritage @ Risk Places in Australia”. 
    • 2008: NSW Government Heritage Volunteers Award
    • 2008: FOKE produced A Photographic Record of Sites and Streetscapes, documenting ~2,000 homes, including many in Killara, threatened by state-mandated rezonings. Copies are archived at Ku-ring-gai Library, Ku-ring-gai Historical Society, and the National Trust, Sydney
    • 2009: National Trust Heritage Awards Highly Commended. 
    • 2015: National Trust Heritage Festival Annie Wyatt, Gordon
    • 2015: National Trust Heritage Festival walk: Sheldon Forest, Turramurra
    • 2015: National Trust Heritage Festival walk: Turramurra
    • 2016: National Trust Heritage Awards Highly Commended
    • 2016: National Trust Heritage Festival talk: Biodiversity Matters
    • 2016: National Trust Heritage Festival walk: Paddy Pallin, Lindfield
    • 2016: National Trust Heritage Festival walk: Sheldon Forest, Turramurra
    • 2017: National Trust Heritage Festival walk: Butterflies, Blue Gums and Camellias, Killara

    FOKE’s walk closely aligns with the Australian Heritage Festival “Unearthed” theme.

    ‘Gordon Heritage in Peril Walk’ ‘unearths’ Ku-ring-gai’s rich, often under appreciated heritage, exposing threats to its preservation and encouraging community involvement in safeguarding these stories for future generations.

    1. Reveals Hidden Histories: ‘Gordon Heritage in Peril Walk’ highlights Ku-ring-gai’s built and natural heritage, including its twentieth-century architectural gems and conservation legacies, which have been historically ignored, dismissed and threatened by NSW Governments planning policies.

      ‘Gordon Heritage in Peril Walk’ stories of the Gammeragal people’s stewardship, the area’s pioneering conservationists and the natural, built and cultural significance of the Sydney’s 20th Century town planning movement as exemplified by town planning/architect icon John Sulman.

    2. Addresses Threats to Heritage: ‘The ‘Gordon Heritage in Peril Walk’ highlights the imminent densification threats to Ku-ring-gai’s heritage from developer-led planning that the NSW Government has succumbed to with the Transport Oriented Development (TOD), Low to Mid-Rise Housing and Dual Occupancy ‘one size fails all’ planning policies. The narrative of loss , grief and resilience resonates with the theme’s emphasis on unearthing stories that are often ignored by the mainstream media.

    3. Empowers Future Custodians: Through the ‘Gordon Heritage in Peril Walk’, FOKE engages, educations and builds appreciation for Ku-ring-gai’s unique, outstanding and beautiful heritage and environmental significance. By connecting modern roads and railways to ancient Gammeragal pathways and highlighting conservation efforts, the walks inspire participants to advocate for heritage preservation, aligning with the festival’s goal of fostering custodianship.

    4. Drives Community Storytelling: As a community group, FOKE’s walks embody the festival’s community-driven ethos, offering a platform to share local knowledge and advocate for the protection of Ku-ring-gai’s unique character.

    Ku-ring-gai’s National, State and Local Heritage Significance

    Ku-ring-gai:

    • has exceptional collection of twentieth-century housing, showcasing a diverse range of high-quality designs by prominent Australian architects.


    • embodies twentieth-century town planning and conservation philosophies.


    • has been the home of influential conservationists, including Gordon’s Annie Wyatt (1885-1961), founder of the National Trust (NSW); Turramurra’s Eccleston du Faur (1832-1915), who established Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, one of Australia’s earliest national parks; Lindfield’s Paddy Pallin (1900-1930), a pioneering bushwalker and entrepreneur who championed the early twentieth-century bushwalking conservation movement; Turramurra’s Alex Colley (1909-2014), instrumental in securing World Heritage listing for the Greater Blue Mountains National Park; and Lindfield’s Charlie Veron (1945-), a marine biologist, who highlighted the devastating impact of climate change and warming ocean temperatures on the Great Barrier Reef. Their collective efforts underscore Ku-ring-gai’s enduring legacy in shaping Australia’s conservation movement.


    Heritage Conservation Areas in Ku-ring-gai

    Ku-ring-gai Council’s website states: A Heritage Conservation Areas (HCA) is an area recognised and valued for its special historical and aesthetic character. Important elements that contribute to the heritage significance of a HCA include the architectural style of buildings, fences, trees and gardens. Furthermore “HCA’s (are meant to) protect not just single homes but whole areas from inappropriate development.”


    ‘Conservation Areas – Guidelines for Managing Change in Heritage Conservation Areas (1996) are also defined as:

    A heritage conservation area is more than a collection of individual heritage items. It is an area in which the historical origins and relationships between the various elements create a sense of place that is worth keeping.


    A heritage area is identified by analysing its heritage significance and the special characteristics which make up that significance. These may include its subdivision pattern, the consistency of building materials or the common age of its building stock. The least important characteristic is the ‘look’ of the place, although the commonly held community view is that this is the determining factor.


    Heritage areas reveal many different aspects of our cultural history. They show how Australians have responded physically, emotionally, socially and architecturally to the environment and how places have been variously occupied, used, ignored, refined, degraded or associated with Australian society over time.



    NSW legislated Heritage Conservation Areas (HCAs) in Ku-ring-gai highlight Killara’s distinctive historical, aesthetic, and cultural value, encompassing exceptional architectural styles, mature canopy trees, and gardens and critically endangered Blue Gum High Forest and Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest.

    Killara’s HCAs, renowned for its outstanding interwar Federation and Californian bungalow architecture showcases of twentieth-century Australian town planning. The National Trust (NSW) recommended 27 precincts to be classified as Urban Conservation Areas in 1997. This was more than any other local government area in NSW.


    Map of the 28 conservation areas in the vicinity of the four TOD stations. Source TKD Architects. Ku-ring-gai Heritage Conservation Area Review, prepared for Ku-ring-gai Council, October 2024:

    Gordon Park Estate McIntosh Ansell Grant Conservation Area(PDF, 184KB)

    Roberts Grant Conservation Area(PDF, 79KB)

    Robert Street Khartoum Avenue Conservation Area(PDF, 91KB)

    OMC_30102024_AGN_AT_EXTRA_Attachment_15886_3-Draft-HeritageDownload

    Gordon Heritage Items

    More about the TOD



    The Transport Oriented Development (TOD) State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) undermines heritage protections in Ku-ring-gai by prioritising high-density development, targeting approximately 23,200 dwellings.

    Ku-ring-gai Council’s Preferred TOD Scenario (3b refined) to the TOD will rezone to create … dwellings in Killara with building heights ranging from 3–8 storeys within 800m of the station. This threatens the integrity of Heritage Conservation Areas (HCAs) in Killara despite 80% safeguarded under the Preferred Scenario (3b refined). It also leaves heritage streetscapes vulnerable to “development uplift” and State Significant Development (SSD) spot rezonings. The weakening of robust HCA protections will erode Killara’s irreplaceable heritage.

    Transport Oriented Development (TOD) Impacts on Gordon

    Gordon, along with Killara, Lindfield and Roseville, is one of 37 railway stations identified to be rezoned as Transport Oriented Development (TOD). This proposed to rezone low-density and heritage conservation areas within 400 meters of Killara Station for mid-rise apartment buildings (6–8 storeys). This fundamentally threatens Killara’s heritage-rich, low-density character, defined by Federation and Californian bungalow homes, lush gardens, and Heritage Conservation Areas (HCAs).

    Ku-ring-gai Council resolved to place on public exhibition (31 March 2025) an alternative Preferred Scenario (3b refined). This recommends 2,778 additional new dwellings to Killara as part of a 24,562 dwelling target across the four railway precincts (Gordon, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville) and 3–28 storeys building heights and FSR range of 0.85:1 to 8.0:1 for 800 metres from Gordon Railway Station to provide an additional 9,012 dwellings for Gordon.

    The short timeline to consult with the community from November to December 2024 on an alternative TOD scenario resulted in the recommendation for the alternative Preferred Scenario (3b refined) that was placed on public exhibition from 31 March to 22 April 2024.  This public consultation was agreed as part of the Land & Environment Court Mediation Agreement between Ku-ring-gai Council Vs Minister for Planning.

    Council must soon vote on the alternative Preferred Scenario (3b refined) and resolve it as a Local Environment Plan to be gazetted by the NSW Minister of Planning Paul Scully.  If Council does not meet this May 2025 deadline, the original TOD controls will be implemented. This has placed enormous pressure on communities as well as creating new ‘winners & losers’.

    The short public exhibition deadline (31 March to 22 April 2025) limited community input. However, Council proceeded to put it public exhibition until 22 April 2022 and indicated it would only ‘tweak’ the draft Local Environment Plan (LEP).  This is despite considerable opposition at the 31 March 2025 Public Forum that preceded the Extraordinary Council meeting.  Many argued at the Public Forum that the Council’s alternative scenario “development uplift” proposal for heritage items, would devalue heritage items if they were integrated into larger developments.  Many heritage owners argued that developers would not wish to integrate their properties and they would be left ‘isolated’ and be financially disadvantaged.



    FOKE remains skeptical of outcomes, as State Significant Developments could bypass protections and asks:

    • whether the future Housing Development Authority (HDA) or SSD applications received by the NSW Government after 21 May 2025 will not override the Council’s approved TOD scenario and LEP provisions across the four TOD suburbs?
    • Will Ku-ring-gai Council be responding with a submission on the Tryon Road State Significant Development and the others?
    • whether Ku-ring-gai Council has received a reply from Minister Scully to Council’s letter regarding  a “saving clause” related to Transport Oriented Development (TOD) meaning that the new TOD planning controls , won’t apply to applications made but not determined before May 21, 2024, or modification applications made after that date if the original consent was granted on or before May 21, 2024 ? 

    Ku-ring-gai Council’s preferred scenario 24,500 dwelling targets:



    State Significant Development with the NSW Department of Planning, Housing & Infrastructure (DPHI), as of 25 April 2025:


    All currently at a stage of prepare EIS.

    Lindfield

    • 9-21 Beaconsfield Road Lindfield
    • 12-16 Bent Street Lindfield (currently on public exhibition)
    • 2-4 Woodside & 1-3 Reid Street, Lindfield
    • 2-8 Highgate Road, Lindfield
    • 1-5 Nelson Road, Lindfield
    • 27-29 Tryon Road, Lindfield (currently on public exhibition)
    • 59-63 Trafalgar Avenue, 1A and 1B Valley Road, Lindfield
    • 11-19 Middle Harbour Road, Lindfield
    • 24, 26, 28 Middle Harbour Road, Lindfield

    Killara

    • 10, 14, & 14A Stanhope Road, Killara, STATE SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT

    Gordon

    • 3-9 Park Avenue, Gordon (currently on public exhibition)
    • 3a,3b,5a, 7 Burgoyne and 1&3 Pearson Avenue and 4 Burgoyne Lane, Gordon

    Roseville

    • 2-4 Larkin Street and 1-5 Pockley Avenue, Roseville
    • 2,4,6,8,10,12,14, & 16 Pockley Avenue, Roseville
    • 21-27 Roseville Avenue and 16-24 Oliver Road, Roseville (on public exhibition 1 May)
    • 17-21 Shirley Road, Roseville
    More Preferred Scenario Maps:

    Overview of Council response to NSW Government planning reforms

    In December 2023, the NSW Government announced a range of major planning reforms to deliver additional housing.

    This included:

    Ku-ring-gai Council expressed concern that the proposed one-size-fits-all reforms would have a range of unnecessary and unwanted impacts on the Ku-ring-gai Council area, particularly in relation to Ku-ring-gai’s environment and heritage and the strain on existing infrastructure and facilities.

    Submission

    In February 2024, Council lodged a submission on the reforms.

    Council work since this time

    Since this time, Council has been undertaking a series of actions to plan for additional housing, which considers community feedback and responds to Ku-ring-gai’s unique local area.

    These actions include:

    Council also took legal action against the TOD policy. 

    independent-heritage-advice-to-ku-ring-ai-council-housing-reforms-and-tod-seppDownload



    appendix-4-land-eco-consulting-independent-assessment-of-potential-ecological-impacts (1)Download



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