Friday, 29 Mar 2024

Sydney’s growing pains: land rezoning a potential billion-dollar deal for developers after local council sidelined

Sydney’s growing pains: land rezoning a potential billion-dollar deal for developers after local council sidelined


Sydney’s growing pains: land rezoning a potential billion-dollar deal for developers after local council sidelined

A decision by the New South Wales government to fast-track rezoning for 12,900 houses on Sydney's fringe has raised questions about the potential influence of developers and their lobbyists over the timing of new land releases.

Documents obtained by Guardian Australia show an area of land at Appin, in sensitive koala habitat 80km south-west of Sydney, is being rezoned from farmland to allow for a massive new housing estate, despite departmental advice in 2019 that it was not needed for housing supply until 2036.

The area has no public transport - existing or planned - inadequate water supplies and is in a region known as a koala habitat.

Serious concerns about the proposal have also been raised by other arms of the state government including the Environment and Heritage office, Transport for NSW, Water NSW and the Department of Health.

The rezoning of the 1,284-hectare site, owned by the developer Walker Corp, along with two smaller sites owned by Ingham Property andthe developer LendLease, could lead to a dramatic increase in the value of the land to hundreds of millions, even billions, of dollars. The decision to fast-track rezoning of the sites was announced in November.

In response to questions from Guardian Australia, the NSW planning department denied lobbying by developers had influenced any decision and said the sites were rezoned as part of a new pilot program that allows developers to nominate projects for consideration under a fast-track rezoning assessment.

The department said approvals, subject to four key criteria including demonstrating public benefit and availability of infrastructure, were ultimately granted by the secretary of the department, not the minister.

you may also like

Jacob Zuma Fast Facts
  • by cnn
  • 29 Mar 2024
Jacob Zuma Fast Facts
Vatican Fast Facts
  • by cnn
  • 29 Mar 2024
Vatican Fast Facts
Jacob Zuma Fast Facts
Vatican Fast Facts
Resort Casinos Likely Scuttled Under Amended Bermuda Legislation
  • by travelpulse
  • descember 09, 2016
Resort Casinos Likely Scuttled Under Amended Bermuda Legislation

Premier announces changes to long-delayed project

read more