Mayor expects legal action over planning changes
Mosman Council is seeking clarity over a new planning edict issued by the State Government which will allow apartment blocks up to eight storeys in areas previously zoned for one home.
The low and mid-rise housing policy, which started on 28 February, allows land zoned low and medium density an ‘uplift’ to terraces, townhouses, residential flat buildings and shop-top housing within 800 metres walking distance from town centres. For Mosman, these will be at Spit Junction and Cremorne town centre, around the IGA and Orpheum. The new laws will apply to heritage conservation areas, of which there are several in Mosman, but not bushfire prone land.
Mayor Ann Marie Kimber told NL that the government had made ‘profound changes that completely overrule the council’s own carefully constructed and established planning controls.’
“The big concerns that we have start with increased traffic congestion. With increased density on the Northern Beaches too, that thoroughfare becomes even more congested. We already can’t get on buses that are coming from the Beaches.”
Ms Kimber said council accepted that more density was needed, with Mosman earmarked for 500 more homes in five years. “But we want to be able to choose where we can build those. And that choice is being taken away from us. It will significantly impact on the look and feel of the suburb, but also the services we provide. There’s been no infrastructure plan provided.
“It’s such a knee-jerk, clumsy, one size fits all planning approach.”
While residential flat buildings can be three to six levels, developers can get ‘30% extra’ space if they provide affordable housing within the complex, which Mayor Kimber said could equate to an extra two storeys. “A lot of people have paid a lot of money to have a view from their property. I would imagine these sorts of applications will end up in the courts because there’s no clarity around impact on views.”
Of particular concern is an area fronting Balmoral Beach, which is bounded by Almora Street and Esther Road, opposite Hunter Park. Mayor Kimber said it was seeking to have the area excluded, but acknowledged: “There’s almost nothing we can do to push back and stop this from happening.
“It doesn’t bode well for urban outcomes because they’ve just abandoned all long-term planning and it’s just going to put more pressure on communities and pressure on services, because the infrastructure won’t be able to keep up.”
Council will hold a public meeting on 9 April to explain the changes.