I want to make it clear that I have no problem with 6 storey buildings. People gotta live somewhere and I welcome them.
But what I have a problem with is the state government claiming that heritage controls will be respected, because in practice they cannot.
In the Transport Oriented Development (TOD) program documentation it says that “heritage controls will apply to the extent they are not inconsistent with the new standards”.
In the SEPP it says that the consent authority cannot apply more onerous standards than the maximum height and floor space ratio set within the TOD provisions.
I’ve asked the Planning Minister multiple times in person and in writing how it is possible that we do FSR 3:1 in an HCA (later revised to FSR 2.5:1, matching what’s in this image) while still following the Apartment Design Guide for amenity. He told me the usual spiel about how councils have the ability to assess against heritage.
This is a problem not just for Sydney’s North, but also for the Ashfield, Dulwich Hill, and Marrickville. But for the Inner West they’ve kicked the can down to December and it’s currently radio silence.
The government just needs to say it as it is. The Heritage Conservation Areas within a TOD precinct will be a thing of the past.
Once again I need to make it clear that I have no problem with 6 storey buildings. My problem is the message that HCAs are compatible with the TOD.
And at Ku-ring-gai we are exploring ways to save these HCAs while still providing great infrastructure outcomes for future residents.
