The guidelines confirm the government’s new planning controls will apply in heritage conservation areas,which are applied by local councils to limit development and protect the existing character of a suburb. There are hundreds across Sydney,mainly in the inner west,east and north shore.
Heritage zones surround all four north shore train stations targeted under the program – Roseville,Lindfield,Killara and Gordon – as well as much of Croydon,Dulwich Hill and Balmain/Rozelle,which is within 1200 metres of the Bays West Metro station.
However,the transit-oriented development program will not apply to land currently zoned for industrial purposes,“to make sure these critical land uses are retained and managed”. That means much of the land surrounding Turella station,which is on the list,will remain industrial.
The guidelines say that while the controls override local heritage rules,“a merit-based assessment will continue to apply to developments in these locations and relevant heritage controls will apply to the extent they are not inconsistent with the new standards”.
Heritage Council of NSW chair Frank Howarth said his organisation had no problem with the government’s approach and it seemed reasonable.
“We’re as much about change as we are about preservation. If we don’t change,we don’t get the heritage of the future,” he said. “The[Heritage] Council has discussed the government’s policy around providing housing,and we will do what we can to support that policy.”