Media release
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne
Today’s revelations that the Department of Planning is proposing to rezone the entirety of the Inner West for 6 storey development are greatly concerning.
The revelations are contained in a briefing document prepared for the Minister for Planning by his Department, identifying what the Government’s various rezoning proposals would mean if implemented.
The document states the whole of the Inner West would be included in the new “Well Located Zone” and that “for the Inner West this will mean that 6 storey apartments will be possible across the LGA (Local Government Area)”.
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said such widespread rezoning would go much further than the Government has previously disclosed and will be strongly opposed.
“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,” Byrne said.
“We’ve asked repeatedly to negotiate with the Government over their rezoning proposals, but they have refused so far to engage.
“So, to find out that they have not been straight with us about what’s being proposed is very frustrating.
“Allowing 6 storey apartment blocks in every single street in the Inner West is absurd and we will fight hard against such a simplistic proposal.
“Frustratingly, we are still waiting for the Government to provide us with any dwelling targets to explain how many new homes their rezoning would result in.
“If the Government will simply give us dwelling targets, we can get on with working out where the new housing can best be located.
“Our solutions will be more effective and nuanced than the Department of Planning’s approach of just drawing circles on a map.
“We want to take responsibility for increasing housing supply but the ongoing mixed messages from the Government makes that hard to do.”
The Council has also called for the Government to act more urgently on a range of measures to address housing affordability.
“The truth is the Government is not moving fast enough on the housing crisis themselves,” Byrne said.
“A year since the election they’ve not completed their own audit of lands for housing, there’s been no legislation brought forward on renters rights and no new funding for public housing.
“The Department of Planning, famously one of the least efficient agencies in the country, hasn’t been shaken up or reformed.
“Last August we offered the NSW Government 10 of our own carparks and depots for conversion to public housing but are still waiting on an official response to our offer.”
