For those not completely devoid of interest in the continued saga between Ku-ring-gai Council, the NSW State Government, and the Transport Oriented Development (TOD) Policy, Ku-ring-gai Council are seeking Interim Heritage Orders (IHOs) around the affected LGA stations.
In the July 2024 Ordinary Meeting, Council resolved to attempt installing IHOs 400 metres circling the Gordon, Roseville, Lindfield, and Killara train stations. If approved, these IHOs would effectively afford temporary legal protections, disallowing any development to occur as per the desire of the Minns’ Government.
‘Our Heritage Reference Committee recommended an interim heritage order to temporarily protect these areas until a decision is made, and Council has voted to support the recommendation,’ says Ku-ring-gai Mayor, Sam Ngai. ‘It is a sensible short-term measure… All that we need now is a Heritage Minister who demonstrates her commitment to heritage.’
For these protections to occur, Minister for Heritage, Penny Sharpe, must approve. However, Minister for Planning, Paul Scully, has warned local councils not to use heritage zones to sidestep development.
‘Heritage and new housing can coexist. However, new heritage listings must not be used to avoid delivering new homes,’ Minister Scully said in a press release in March of 2024.
During the Meeting, Council decided to undertake planning studies in the stations’ precincts, which is slated to be exhibited in late 2024, then presented to Council in February next year.
‘The uplift required by the Transport Oriented Development policy is far greater than anything previously requested by the NSW Government,’ says Mayor Ngai. ‘In 2020, our draft plans for these precincts involved 3,700 new homes but we are now required to deliver 20,000 new dwellings. Our infrastructure plans need significant rework to give these new residents the infrastructure and amenities that they deserve.’
More is certainly to come.
