Earlier this year the NSW Government signed agreements with 12 of the 13 councils with TOD locations in their local government areas on how to implement these reforms. Canterbury-Bankstown Council is the first council to take on the challenge of completing the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces’ own masterplan, which goes beyond TOD provisions, with proposed plans providing capacity for a potential 3,200 new homes around Canterbury station.

Planning controls have also been finalized for the Berala TOD area in consultation with Cumberland Council, while the NSW Government continues to work with the Canadian City Bay Council to finalize the North Strathfield TOD simultaneously with the Homebush TOD Accelerated Zone. It was announced late this year.

Details of the planning recommendations include:

Canterbury Station

Canterbury-Bankstown Council’s masterplan goes well beyond TOD planning provisions, providing capacity for a potential 3,200 homes, better community amenity and more jobs in the area.

These increased housing numbers came from areas nominated by the Council within the master plan, which exceeded the height and Floor Area Ratio limits recommended under the TOD programme.

The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) has worked closely with Canterbury-Bankstown Council to support local planning efforts and deliver more homes, as well as better open spaces, new footpaths and more affordable housing to be retained in perpetuity.

Public consultation was carried out by the Council, taking into account feedback before the final plans were submitted to DPHI by October.

DPHI is currently assessing Council’s plans for new SEPP planning controls that will come into force once amendments are made to the Canterbury-Bankstown Local Environment Plan (LEP).

Berala Station

With the completion of the new TOD SEPP checks for Berala, the City of Cumberland will soon have greater capacity for its growing population with the adoption of more than 9,200 new homes over the next 15 years.

Berala was included in the TOD program due to its great location and growth capacity close to public transport, shops and other essential services.

Following zoning changes that allow building heights and density to be increased, new residential buildings and storefront residences can be built.

This zoning change includes mandatory affordable housing provisions for projects exceeding 2,000 square feet of gross floor area.

Following consultation with DPHI and Cumberland Council, the Berala area’s 400m TOD SEPP boundary has been adjusted to ensure there is a logical boundary between the TOD area and surrounding areas. This also means that there are no isolated areas at the edge of the border, ensuring the best urban design outcomes for society.

North Strathfield

The North Strathfield TOD SEPP boundary will be completed simultaneously with the adjacent Homebush TOD Accelerated Zone.

This is to ensure that the community has a holistic understanding of how both phases of the TOD program will impact their area.

The TOD SEPP zone will apply to the east side of North Strathfield Station, while the Homebush Accelerated Zone will provide elevated planning controls for the west side of the station. Both regions will launch simultaneously before the end of the year.

The TOD program is expected to deliver 170,000 homes across 37 stations over the next fifteen years, and the NSW Government is working closely with 12 of the 13 councils tabled on these planning reforms.

Housing affordability is the biggest cost of living concern for people in NSW; Whether they are students, workers, young families or those looking to downsize later in life, the effects are felt across the state.

These reforms are just some of the Minns Labor Government’s efforts to confront the housing crisis by stepping up the planning system, investing in social and affordable housing and reforming NSW tenancy laws.

By June 2025, new planning controls will be introduced in all 37 TOD SEPP areas, allowing for the creation of more homes and jobs. Local councils continue to have the ability to add to these areas through their own planning controls, which they set out, allowing more homes to be built.

Planning and Public Spaces Minister Paul Scully said:

“We have said from the beginning that these reforms are about designing local housing solutions to deliver better-located homes to communities.

Cumberland, Canterbury-Bankstown and the City of Canada Bay Council worked collaboratively with my Department on these planning changes. If we are going to combat the housing crisis, we need to continue to see this type of collaboration between local and state government.

“I congratulate Mayor El-Hayek for leading his Council in developing comprehensive local housing plans in a relatively short period of time. This is the approach we want to see from every council, not just the 13 sites hosting TOD; Because all levels of government should explore what they can do to help deliver more homes faster.

“The Transport Oriented Development program is expected to deliver 170,000 homes over the next fifteen years; the importance of this cannot be overstated as communities feel the pinch of the cost of living crisis.”