Chief Executive of the Urban Taskforce, Tom Forrest, today welcomed the announcement by Minister Stokes of a green light for mixed use high rise residential and commercial development above and around the new Metro Station at Waterloo.
The Waterloo precinct has been run-down by decades of Government in-action, reflecting poorly on all sides of politics. Today’s decision will give a massive boost to the community by providing shopping, offices, new residential dwellings, social and affordable housing”, Mr Forrest said.
“High rise transport-oriented development protects the character of our suburbs by concentrating growth near new Metro train lines and thus avoiding the need to increase density further away from the transport system. This should be a model for development at all new Metro Stations.
Mr Forrest welcomed the heights proposed at Waterloo, saying this concept plan has been carefully thought through.
However, Mr Forrest said that while the Government is progressing well with projects related to its own infrastructure program, the performance of the planning system for the residential sector more generally requires urgent attention.
“The Minister has had his department focus on government related projects like the Metro Quarter concept plan in Waterloo, but the results in terms of timeframes for the vast majority of DAs and planning proposals in NSW is woeful. The Planning system needs significant reform to reduce the time taken by Councils to process development applications.
“The planning system needs to deliver for both private and public sector developments. While government projects are flowing through the system, hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of private sector investment, often nearby station developments where the planning system has ticked off on its own projects, are being delayed and frustrated”, Mr Forrest said.
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