Analysis by the NSW Government on its proposed housing reforms unveiled to the public in 2023 indicate that in order to achieve housing targets, the government should zone the entire Inner West LGA to allow for six-storey apartments.

The reforms centre around transport-oriented development, in which areas within an 800 metre radius from transport hubs and town centres will be rezoned to allow for mid-rise apartment precincts. The government document, plus Inner West Council’s own analysis, indicates over three quarters of the LGA could qualify for rezoning.

“For the inner west, which is entirely mapped as ‘well located’, this will mean … that six-storey apartments will be possible across the LGA,” the document reads.

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne says the potential rezoning of over three quarters of his LGA to allow increased density is “absurd”.

“We would fight hard against such a simplistic proposal,” he says in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald.

“I don’t know if rezoning the whole of the inner west is just another bureaucrat’s thought bubble, but this contradicts public statements of the Premier and the Planning Minister.”

Greens MP for Balmain Kobi Shetty says there has been a complete lack of consultation with her constituents regarding the changes.

“These proposed changes could see wholesale rezoning of the inner west, with significant impacts on current and future residents,” she says. 

“Despite the impact of these proposed changes, the NSW Government has failed to adequately consult with local communities. As a result, I’ve had hundreds of local residents join public meetings to get the facts on these reforms and to understand how they can have their say.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully says that the entire LGA will not be reshaped, claiming it is Council’s responsibility to assess potential development based on the likes of congestion, design and privacy. He believes the state can’t simply sit on their hands and must try to assist in reducing property and rent prices.

The Inner West Council has reportedly communicated to Scully’s office that it is eager to negotiate with the government on its reforms.