Latest news with #TransportOrientedDevelopment
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Labor faces internal housing battle in PM's heartland
With proud Marrickville resident Anthony Albanese in The Lodge, Sydney's inner west has become the centre of Australia's political universe. It's also the centre of one of the more pressing political issues of our time – how to build more housing in a central part of Sydney which has historically been pathologically opposed to development. The area is full of progressive Labor-Greens voters fully supportive of high-density, affordable housing in every suburb – barring their own. It's the kind of place where people read Ezra Klein's Abundance book for fun. Little surprise then that there are a multitude of views around how best to build, baby, build among influential Labor figures in the PM's own backyard. The council, led by ambitious Labor mayor Darcy Byrne (a good mate of Albo) objected to Premier Chris Minns' Transport Oriented Development scheme and, in May, revealed its own plan to boost density, which involves buildings of six to 11 storeys clustered around Ashfield, Marrickville, Dulwich Hill and Croydon. Loading Cue fury among some residents' groups in those suburbs, disgruntled at having to bear the brunt of the council's density reforms. They pointed to the fact that the inner west's leafier areas such as Balmain, Rozelle and Annandale were spared the brunt of the development. To be fair, none of those suburbs is on a train line. Earlier this month, local Labor MP Jo Haylen, who was a minister in the Minns government before that silly business with taking chauffeured cars to a boozy birthday brunch, wrote to Byrne to voice those residents' concerns. Some of the suburbs slated for the most development sit in her Summer Hill electorate. In a letter seen by CBD, Haylen urged Byrne to 'give serious consideration' to the feedback on the plan provided by her community.
The Age
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
A mini-Aussie dream for $1? The future of Sydney housing revealed
A pattern for a 'mini Australian dream home' for $1 by an award-winning architect? That's the promise of the NSW government's Housing Pattern Book, containing eight designs ranging from new, better-insulated terraces to more flexible townhouses and manor homes. Announcing the low-density designs that will be available from Wednesday, Premier Chris Minns said the pattern book was a step towards making NSW an affordable place to live for the next generation. 'Too many people in NSW have been locked out of the housing market by rising costs and a system that made it too hard to build,' he said. Housing was the biggest cost-of-living pressure, and it was forcing young people to flee at twice the rate others were moving to the state. SAHA, a young practice founded by Harry Catterns and Sascha Solar-March, has a solution. It has won awards for its homes where two generations can live side by side or on top of each. Its pattern is for four row homes arranged side by side, running perpendicular to the street. Catterns said they had wanted to give every owner 'a mini Australian dream'. Every home has a front door and a small yard, and they would own it from the floor to the roof. By using an approved pattern, home owners and developers will get fast-track approval. Loading Planning Minister Paul Scully said the pattern book removed guesswork and delay from home-building. 'These designs are high-quality, easy to build, and for the first six months, they'll cost $1.' After that, they'll sell for $1000 a design, a saving of about $19,000 on the usual fees for an architect-designed home. An advertising campaign will target home buyers looking to take advantage of increased density near railways and shopping centres under the Transport Oriented Development zones. The patterns can be adapted to different sites, locations, even steep Sydney blocks, and family size. That may address some of the gripes from councils about them being cookie-cutter designs. Pattern books for manor homes and terraces have been used since settlement. Those in the new pattern book are designed to meet the current guidelines for heating, cooling, ventilation, and room size. See the eight patterns here and vote below. Anthony Gill Architects, an award-winning Bondi practice, has designed two-storey semis that were flexible, straightforward and simple. Yet, Gill said, they had 'moments of delight'. The kitchen is located under a double-height void, bringing light and ventilation into the heart of the home. Sibling Architecture's semis give each home its own identity with street frontage and individual colour palettes. They have private enclosed courtyards, a covered outdoor area and a large garden that can be private or shared with the neighbouring home. Carter Williamson Architects design for three two-storey brick terraces side by side turns the Victorian terrace into a modern antipodean one. Each one has an internal courtyard. Principal Shaun Carter said: 'What we are doing is a contemporary version of the Sydney terrace that everyone knows and loves. It is such great, simple and bulletproof housing.' Sam Crawford Architects' group of three terraces was designed to stack up financially, and provide an affordable and flexible home design. For example, the garage could be converted into a bedroom for a young adult or an ageing parent. The design meets gold and silver standards for accessible housing. Officer Woods won an international design competition for the pattern book. Its terrace design provides a range of bedroom and bathroom configurations. It offers a base design of three terraces – suitable for a single lot – and another pattern of seven connected homes that could suit a new development. Other Architects x NMBW is another winner. It has come up with a new twist on terraces, which the NSW government has committed to build. Director David Neustein said the design for a courtyard terrace house combined the benefits of life spent around a sunny courtyard garden with the efficiencies and replicability of terrace housing. It had been informed by research studying the kind of renovations home owners did to older terraces. Very often they opened the rear, the kitchen and dining area to the garden. That meant the street life had retreated. 'We wanted to have our cake and eat it too,' Neustein said. Each terrace design comprises three separate buildings. A carport could double as a covered dining area, the rear of the building could be a home office, or a teenager's escape. Studio Johnston's manor homes have reinvented the old two-up, two-down apartment blocks that dominate Sydney's eastern suburbs. Instead of all facing the street, its pattern has two facing the rear and two facing the street to maximise light. Director Conrad Johnston said the attraction of the manor home was that they don't dominate. 'They are polite. They can sit in a street next to single houses. They don't look like apartment buildings. And with their front gardens, they have a presence to the street that's not detracting from other homes.' SAHA's row homes prioritise light and fresh air. The design can be adapted for steep sites, including sloping lands, and has facades to suit different climates and neighbourhoods.
Sydney Morning Herald
15-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
A mini-Aussie dream for $1? The future of Sydney housing revealed
A pattern for a 'mini Australian dream home' for $1 by an award-winning architect? That's the promise of the NSW government's Housing Pattern Book, containing eight designs ranging from new, better-insulated terraces to more flexible townhouses and manor homes. Announcing the low-density designs that will be available from Wednesday, Premier Chris Minns said the pattern book was a step towards making NSW an affordable place to live for the next generation. 'Too many people in NSW have been locked out of the housing market by rising costs and a system that made it too hard to build,' he said. Housing was the biggest cost-of-living pressure, and it was forcing young people to flee at twice the rate others were moving to the state. SAHA, a young practice founded by Harry Catterns and Sascha Solar-March, has a solution. It has won awards for its homes where two generations can live side by side or on top of each. Its pattern is for four row homes arranged side by side, running perpendicular to the street. Catterns said they had wanted to give every owner 'a mini Australian dream'. Every home has a front door and a small yard, and they would own it from the floor to the roof. By using an approved pattern, home owners and developers will get fast-track approval. Loading Planning Minister Paul Scully said the pattern book removed guesswork and delay from home-building. 'These designs are high-quality, easy to build, and for the first six months, they'll cost $1.' After that, they'll sell for $1000 a design, a saving of about $19,000 on the usual fees for an architect-designed home. An advertising campaign will target home buyers looking to take advantage of increased density near railways and shopping centres under the Transport Oriented Development zones. The patterns can be adapted to different sites, locations, even steep Sydney blocks, and family size. That may address some of the gripes from councils about them being cookie-cutter designs. Pattern books for manor homes and terraces have been used since settlement. Those in the new pattern book are designed to meet the current guidelines for heating, cooling, ventilation, and room size. See the eight patterns here and vote below. Anthony Gill Architects, an award-winning Bondi practice, has designed two-storey semis that were flexible, straightforward and simple. Yet, Gill said, they had 'moments of delight'. The kitchen is located under a double-height void, bringing light and ventilation into the heart of the home. Sibling Architecture's semis give each home its own identity with street frontage and individual colour palettes. They have private enclosed courtyards, a covered outdoor area and a large garden that can be private or shared with the neighbouring home. Carter Williamson Architects design for three two-storey brick terraces side by side turns the Victorian terrace into a modern antipodean one. Each one has an internal courtyard. Principal Shaun Carter said: 'What we are doing is a contemporary version of the Sydney terrace that everyone knows and loves. It is such great, simple and bulletproof housing.' Sam Crawford Architects' group of three terraces was designed to stack up financially, and provide an affordable and flexible home design. For example, the garage could be converted into a bedroom for a young adult or an ageing parent. The design meets gold and silver standards for accessible housing. Officer Woods won an international design competition for the pattern book. Its terrace design provides a range of bedroom and bathroom configurations. It offers a base design of three terraces – suitable for a single lot – and another pattern of seven connected homes that could suit a new development. Other Architects x NMBW is another winner. It has come up with a new twist on terraces, which the NSW government has committed to build. Director David Neustein said the design for a courtyard terrace house combined the benefits of life spent around a sunny courtyard garden with the efficiencies and replicability of terrace housing. It had been informed by research studying the kind of renovations home owners did to older terraces. Very often they opened the rear, the kitchen and dining area to the garden. That meant the street life had retreated. 'We wanted to have our cake and eat it too,' Neustein said. Each terrace design comprises three separate buildings. A carport could double as a covered dining area, the rear of the building could be a home office, or a teenager's escape. Studio Johnston's manor homes have reinvented the old two-up, two-down apartment blocks that dominate Sydney's eastern suburbs. Instead of all facing the street, its pattern has two facing the rear and two facing the street to maximise light. Director Conrad Johnston said the attraction of the manor home was that they don't dominate. 'They are polite. They can sit in a street next to single houses. They don't look like apartment buildings. And with their front gardens, they have a presence to the street that's not detracting from other homes.' SAHA's row homes prioritise light and fresh air. The design can be adapted for steep sites, including sloping lands, and has facades to suit different climates and neighbourhoods.
Sydney Morning Herald
28-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Rosehill rejection: Why did ATC members look a gift horse in the mouth?
Not since 100-to-1 outsider Prince of Penzance defied the odds to win the 2015 Melbourne Cup has a result so deeply confounded established racing logic. The rejection by members of the Australian Turf Club of a $5 billion proposal to sell Rosehill Gardens Racecourse to the NSW government comes close. The prospect of 25,000 new homes on a site situated in the heart of Australia's fastest-growing region were stakes Premier Chris Minns had no option to mount. Under the National Housing Accord he has committed to delivering 377,000 new homes across NSW by 2029. Weigh up the racecourse's adjacency to a newly-constructed light rail network, a coming metro line and a surging jobs hub in Parramatta, and the odds looked impossible to ignore. The NSW government has made no secret of the centrality of housing supply to its agenda. From its establishment last year of the Housing Delivery Authority, through to its pursuit of its Transport Oriented Development initiative, its colours were clear and unambiguous. Recent measures by the premier to upscale the state's production of modular homes – and the contingent manufacturing jobs boost – only upped the stakes. As did the commitment from Peter V'landys, chief executive and board member of Racing NSW, to 'ensure the revenue derived from the [Rosehill] proposal is reinvested to benefit the racing industry as a whole'. Even these assurances couldn't get the proposal over the line. Nor did the prospect of around $2 billion in upgrades to other racetracks, or the sweetener of food, beverage and membership fee concessions. If I know punters' logic, the reason might lie in sentiment, rather than logic. Let me tell you why. Loading My grandpop, Harry, was a veteran of the 1945 New Guinea campaign. He would forlornly recall he was 'too tall' to be a jockey. Still, he remained a lifelong horseracing devotee. He lived in a fibro housing commission house in Granville, due to the state's last great housing shortage post-World War II. It was only five minutes from Rosehill racetrack, where he would periodically venture to, 'see a man about a dog'. Normally unassuming, Harry would harshly shush all of us grandkids when the races came on his 'transistor'. Either that, or he'd send us to the corner shop to buy him a packet of Rothmans Extra Mild cigarettes. 'Get some lollies' with the change he would add. When I was older, I asked Harry in gambling parlance what the 'tells' were in backing a horse trackside. 'Form be damned', he would rail. 'If you see a horse in the mounting yard sweating too much on a chilly day, give it a miss', he advised. 'Ears up, ears up!' That was his favoured sign. An alert, edgy horse was a sure bet, pop assured me.
The Age
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
Rosehill rejection: Why did ATC members look a gift horse in the mouth?
Not since 100-to-1 outsider Prince of Penzance defied the odds to win the 2015 Melbourne Cup has a result so deeply confounded established racing logic. The rejection by members of the Australian Turf Club of a $5 billion proposal to sell Rosehill Gardens Racecourse to the NSW government comes close. The prospect of 25,000 new homes on a site situated in the heart of Australia's fastest-growing region were stakes Premier Chris Minns had no option to mount. Under the National Housing Accord he has committed to delivering 377,000 new homes across NSW by 2029. Weigh up the racecourse's adjacency to a newly-constructed light rail network, a coming metro line and a surging jobs hub in Parramatta, and the odds looked impossible to ignore. The NSW government has made no secret of the centrality of housing supply to its agenda. From its establishment last year of the Housing Delivery Authority, through to its pursuit of its Transport Oriented Development initiative, its colours were clear and unambiguous. Recent measures by the premier to upscale the state's production of modular homes – and the contingent manufacturing jobs boost – only upped the stakes. As did the commitment from Peter V'landys, chief executive and board member of Racing NSW, to 'ensure the revenue derived from the [Rosehill] proposal is reinvested to benefit the racing industry as a whole'. Even these assurances couldn't get the proposal over the line. Nor did the prospect of around $2 billion in upgrades to other racetracks, or the sweetener of food, beverage and membership fee concessions. If I know punters' logic, the reason might lie in sentiment, rather than logic. Let me tell you why. Loading My grandpop, Harry, was a veteran of the 1945 New Guinea campaign. He would forlornly recall he was 'too tall' to be a jockey. Still, he remained a lifelong horseracing devotee. He lived in a fibro housing commission house in Granville, due to the state's last great housing shortage post-World War II. It was only five minutes from Rosehill racetrack, where he would periodically venture to, 'see a man about a dog'. Normally unassuming, Harry would harshly shush all of us grandkids when the races came on his 'transistor'. Either that, or he'd send us to the corner shop to buy him a packet of Rothmans Extra Mild cigarettes. 'Get some lollies' with the change he would add. When I was older, I asked Harry in gambling parlance what the 'tells' were in backing a horse trackside. 'Form be damned', he would rail. 'If you see a horse in the mounting yard sweating too much on a chilly day, give it a miss', he advised. 'Ears up, ears up!' That was his favoured sign. An alert, edgy horse was a sure bet, pop assured me.
