CLUB RYDE EX’S massive redevelopment proposal for its Victoria Road site has been declared a State Significant Development (SSD) by the NSW Government’s new Housing Delivery Authority (HDA), which aims to accelerate growth in the state’s housing supply.
Club Ryde Ex’s plans, in partnership with developer SH Group, are among several projects in TWT Territory to receive the SSD declaration.
The scale of the “significant residential development” is yet to be determined but will incorporate a 2,000sqm licenced premises, which will continue to operate in a limited capacity while the redevelopment is underway.
Club Ryde Ex’s pre-development application submitted last month estimates a development cost of $500m and cites a total of 600 new dwellings.
Club Ryde Ex CEO Dennis Skinner said 30 per cent of dwellings would be provided as affordable housing for key workers.
“Club Ryde Ex is pleased to be working with the state government to deliver a project that will benefit the local government area,” Club Ryde Ex CEO Dennis Skinner told The Weekly Times.
“While we are first and foremost a registered club, we need to see the changing landscape for what it is.
“Reducing our reliance on gaming while providing much needed housing for frontline workers is an exciting prospect for Club Ryde Ex.”
NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, on Tuesday declared a further 15 housing proposals as SSDs following recommendations from the HDA.
“These latest projects that I have declared as State Significant Developments have the potential to deliver more than 7,000 new homes including affordable housing,” Mr Scully said.
“The Housing Delivery Authority is not a silver bullet to our housing supply challenges, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
“In three briefings, I have declared projects that could deliver more than 22,000 dwellings into a state-assessed planning pathway, proponents now have nine months to prepares their planning documents, and must commence construction if they are approved within 12 months, because the need for housing is too urgent.”
After three briefings in two months a total of 44 housing development proposals have been declared state significant under the HDA, with the potential to deliver more than 22,000 new homes, once proposals are assessed.
Since the first meeting, nine projects have also had Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements issued, the first step in the assessment process which signals a good flow of projects progressing quickly along the SSD pathway.
To date, the Authority has received more 250 expressions of interest, with 32 proposals examined at its latest meeting.
To be declared state significant, proposals submitted to the HDA that are already being assessed via another planning pathway need to be withdrawn from that pathway.
All proposals declared as SSD will have their development applications assessed by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, without needing to be approved by councils.
The HDA said this could cut approval times and speed up the delivery of new homes.
City of Ryde Mayor Trenton Brown said the State Government’s “housing at all costs” approach may have a disastrous impact on the community, as the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) bypasses the normal Council approval process, which may include the loss of valuable developer contributions for accompanying infrastructure.
“The HDA adds an extra burden to our community because we may not be getting the expected funding or work for footpaths, roadworks, open space and other essential infrastructure that would normally be provided by developers as part of a Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA) with Council,” he said.
“The three projects already considered by the HDA and declared recommended for the State Significant Developments pathway in Macquarie Park, Gladesville, and Ryde are the tip of the iceberg – there will be more to come, and each could add to Council’s financial burden. And other local government areas across Sydney will face the same impacts.”
Other local development proposals declared SSDs by the HDA include:
* a residential housing block at 1 King Street, Concord West
* a mixed use development comprising commercial premises, residential accommodation and affordable housing at Averill Street and Leeds Street, Rhodes
* a mixed use development comprising commercial premises, residential accommodation and affordable housing at 363 Victoria Road, 365-369 Victoria Road, 373 Victoria Road, 371 Victoria Road, 44-48 Eltham Street, Gladesville
* a residential housing development incorporating affordable housing at 3 Halifax Street, Macquarie Park
Mayor Brown stressed that Council was very supportive of appropriate housing uplift but added that it must come with vital infrastructure and open space amenity for the City of Ryde community.
“We are not a NIMBY Council,” he said.
“Our desire is to collaborate with the State Government to ‘strike the right balance’ between increased housing supply, maintaining and growing local employment opportunities, and the provision of essential infrastructure such as open space.
“In fact, in a housing crisis, we are doing a lot of heavy lifting for Greater Sydney with additional housing, especially in MPID, where we have about 22,000 apartments currently approved or going through the approval pipeline.”
He said that in addition to that, there was another 15,000 apartments proposed in Macquarie Park through the State’s planning proposal.
“That’s an extraordinary number of increased housing stock,” Mayor Brown said.
“We also have masterplans in train for our key town centres in West Ryde/Meadowbank and Eastwood that will add further to appropriately placed housing.
“In our planning, we have sought to strike the right balance between the need for additional housing, the inclusion and protection of key employment lands, and the provision of infrastructure, such as open space.”
He remained hopeful the State Government could share City of Ryde’s vision where increased population and density was “accompanied by local jobs, schools and playgrounds for our kids, improved road networks and better public transport services.”
The Minns Labor Government’s plans also include the development of the NSW Pattern Book and accelerated planning pathway for those who use the pre-approved patterns and the largest rezoning in NSW history around transport hubs and shopping centres.
For more information visit:
www.planning.nsw.gov.au/policy-and-legislation/housing/housing-delivery-authority
