One letter to home owners from developer Landmark Group,dated January 15,noted the land was earmarked for rezoning and said:“We are currently speaking with your neighbours to drive this process and we would like to speak with you regarding the opportunity.”
The state governmentannounced in December that it would apply new planning controls to land near 31 train stations,including Roseville,Lindfield,Killara and Gordon on the north shore,Banksia,Rockdale and Kogarah in the south,and several inner west stations.
From April,apartment buildings of up to six storeys will be permitted within 400 metres of those stations,regardless of whether the land is zoned for low,medium or high density residential,or as a local or commercial centre. It will alsoapply in heritage conservation areas.
Supporting documents say these communities should prepare for “major change”. The locations were chosen because they have “enabling infrastructure capacity close to a transport station to support additional housing growth”,the Department of Planning says.
Roseville resident Suzanne Napthali said she and her neighbours had been flooded with requests from developers in the weeks since the zoning changes were announced. The retired teacher,who lives alone in a five-bedroom house about 100 metres from the station,said she would be sad to leave her home of more than 50 years.
“But I do recognise that people need houses,so I’ll probably move on,” she said. “It’s better to build up around railway stations than take away nature or agricultural land.”