Ku-ring-gai Council has adopted the preferred alternative housing scenario to the Minns’ Government’s Transport Oriented Development policy.
Since the announcement of the Minn’s revised planning controls, Ku-ring-gai Council have been a stanch, and vocal, opposition. After legal avenues were engaged by Ku-ring-gai, the State and Council had agreed to defer court proceedings until Council could provide a suitable alternative that delivered the same number of new developments in the area.
As such, Council developed scenarios that were presented to the public, and after consultation and community feedback, have adopted a new scenario for the Gordon to Roseville rail corridor.
‘The scenario has several advantages compared with the NSW Government’s TOD policy,’ said Mayor Christine Kay following the adoption at the June Extraordinary Council Meeting. ‘It provides greater protection for heritage and trees, improves transitions between different building heights and has incentives to encourage the revitalisation of centres.’
This preferred policy would improve the original TOD by delivering 68% less impact on environmentally sensitive land, 69% less impact on individual heritage items, 76% less impact on tree canopy cover, and 93% fewer properties affected by poor height transitions.
This scenario, if approved by the Minister for Planning, will replace the state’s TOD controls.
In the meantime, Councillors Pettett and Spencer have formally requested the holding of an Extraordinary Meeting of Council.
In the Notion of Motion, Cr Pettett and Spencer put forth a number of suggestions—ceasing the legal proceedings between Council and the State, insisting councillors with potential conflicts of interest to exclude themselves from discussions, having heritage listings surrounded by apartment developments delisted to avoid the burden of legal action against Council in any demolition processes, and reinforcing GB.1, among other suggestions.
Any EMC is yet to be called.
