9 August 2024
By Hannah Wilcox
Crows Nest is set to be rezoned in response to the current housing crisis. But what does it entail? The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure held an online community session on August 1 to discuss the proposed development.
The area around Crows Nest Metro falls under the Transport Orientated Development Accelerated Precincts (TOD) project, which came about in response to the National Housing Board – announced by the federal government to address the housing crisis and supply and affordability of housing in October 2022.
New South Wales has been tasked with building 377,000 new homes.
Brendan Metcalfe, Director of State Rezoning, led the planning work for the region of North Sydney.
He said the department is currently in the process of streamlining the DA process and government agency consultation to speed up housing delivery.
The TOD accelerated precincts – including Crows Nest, Hornsby, Kellyville, Bella Vista, Macquarie Park, Homebush, Bankstown and Bays West – all sit within 1.2km of a Metro station.
Rezoning will not only determine the nature of development that should happen across the area, but also set board standards on the maximum height of buildings and the proportional mix of uses.
Once that process is complete, development applications are able to be lodged for sites within the area.
“The department worked with councils and state agencies on the renewal of the St Leonards’ and Crows Nest areas over a number of years,” Place and Infrastructure Metro Central and North Manager Charlene Nelson told the webinar.
“The St Leonards’ and Crows Nest 2036 plan is a comprehensive strategic plan adopted in August 2020 to guide future development in the area.”
Crows Nest, under this plan, is the wider boundary covering 270 hectares across the three local government areas of Willoughby, North Sydney and Lane Cove.
“It was therefore logical and most efficient for the Crows Nest TOD to largely follow the boundary previously identified for change and make some adjustments to better refine the urban design and amenity outcomes,” she continued.
“This includes the St Leonards’ core, the rejuvenation of Crows Nest along Pacific Highway, public land on Herbert Street and residential land along Nicholson and Sinclair streets.”
All rezoning proposals are designed to build on the 2036 plan and provide a design focus response to appropriate locations for further housing density, Nelson added.
It hopes to bring forward the anticipated 2036 timeframe for development.
“This is in an area already undergoing transformation and renewal to provide a thriving destination for people to live, work, shop and enjoy,” she said.
“With easy access to public transport and the existing commercial core of St Leonards, we envisage that the TOD will provide over 3000 new homes and capacity for around 2600 new jobs with 10 to 15 percent affordable housing.”
Government owned land on Herbert Street, a part of the wider rural North Shore Hospital precinct, is set to house a 62-storey tower with 450 new dwellings for key workers.
Metcalfe said the department is seeking community feedback on the rate of affordable housing across the precinct.
“We are exhibiting an affordable housing rate of 10 to 15 percent for that site,” he explained.
“There’s been talk of 30 percent for some sites … but for the purpose of consistency, we’re saying 10 to 15 percent.”
The residential land along Nicholson Street and Sinclair Street is proposed to be rezoned to be six to eight storey residential flat buildings, whilst the key changes in building height will see all taller buildings located within 150 to 200 metres of the Crows Nest Metro station or St Leonards train station.
“The proposed heights will provide an appropriate transition to low density areas such as the nearby conservation areas or lower scale residential land in Wollstonecraft,” she said.
“Another objective of the TOD is to retain the provision of non-residential floor space, most commonly office floor space.”
“All new development will include commercial or retail floor space at the ground floor or podium of each of the developments and up to 2600 new jobs will [be created as a] result.”
Nelson added: “We are also seeking to improve pedestrian connectivity, upgrade cycling and road infrastructure and increase tree canopy coverage.”
“The NSW Government is committed to delivering the vital community infrastructure and ensuring that people moving into a new home are also moving into a well connected community.”
“The efficient and timely delivery of this infrastructure is critical to the success of the precincts.”
The TOD precincts will receive $520 million from the housing and productivity fund to be spent on community infrastructure.
She noted that development within St Leonards and Crows Nest will be required to pay a housing and productivity contribution.
All studies informing the rezoning and further exhibition are available on the planning portal website.
Submissions on the Crows Nest TOD will close on August 16.