17 July 2013
The release of draft plans for government land at Wentworth Point as part of the Urban Activation Precinct (UAP) program demonstrates the value of the program, says the Urban Taskforce.
The Urban Activation Precinct program is an excellent approach to driving increased housing production in discreet areas of Sydney, says Urban Taskforce CEO, Chris Johnson. By focussing on key precincts that are available for development or are located at railway stations or transport nodes, much of suburban Sydney will be retained as low rise housing.
The Wentworth Point draft plan demonstrates the potential for a mixture of tall apartment towers along with medium rise residential buildings to provide housing for a diverse group of Sydneysiders.
It is essential that the planning process for the UAPs is fast tracked to get more housing supply while making sure that local communities are involved in the planning process.
The Urban Taskforce believes that there should be many more Urban Activation Precincts across metropolitan Sydney and that the Department of Planning and Infrastructure needs to have a special taskforce to roll the UAP program out across urban areas. The Parramatta Road corridor is clearly an excellent candidate for becoming an Urban Activation Precinct.
It is important that the government involve the private sector in the development of plans for UAPs to ensure that they are financially feasible.