Inner West suburb Croydon’s residents, along with Burwood Council are pushing back on the state government’s transport-oriented development reforms, claiming that the policy will tear at the heritage fabric of the town, of which 43 percent is protected under some form of heritage guideline.
Burwood Council has requested that the 400 metre radius around the railway station – which includes a slew of townhouses and the town centre – be exempt from new housing reform. Council believes that an additional 5,550 dwellings, which will be created in conjunction with the opening of the Burwood West Metro Station in 2032, is an adequate amount of new housing for the suburb.
But there is pressure from community groups who believe otherwise. Sydney YIMBY – Yes In My Backyard, believe more housing and less heritage in a suburb like Croydon makes sense. Spokesperson Sharath Mahendran says the median house price and age – $2.3 million and 42 respectively – speaks to the fact that there is too much heritage protection within the municipality.
“They’re nice houses, but they’re all right next to Croydon station. It’s just not efficient use of land,” he says in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald.
“At what point is it enough protection of heritage? There needs to be a serious conversation about that.”
Burwood Council Mayor John Faker has had a number of meetings with state Planning Minister Paul Scully in an attempt to delay the rollout of reforms for Croydon. The reforms are due to come into effect statewide this month.
Faker says he remains confident that an extension on the reform rollout for Croydon will be sanctioned by the Minns Government.
“You don’t want your whole community to be filled with towers,” he says. “You need that balance. It can’t all be apartment living.”
Scully says the government hopes to strike the correct balance between heritage and density.
“I believe good density outcomes and heritage can co-exist like it does in dozens and dozens of other places throughout Sydney.”
Scully says that fears of heritage buildings being torn down in favour of new mid-rise development are misguided.
“The controls that prevent the demolition of buildings that contribute to heritage within a heritage conservation area will not be overridden by the planning changes, but where a development application seeks to remove something that is not adding to the heritage value of an area, the decision to remove it and to replace it with a well-designed new building or home is something that remains within the council’s ability to assess and approve, modify, or reject.
“Any new build will need to improve and enhance the heritage value of an area.”
