Plans to reshape Sydney’s eastern suburbs with towers of up to 34 storeys and about 9,400 new homes have been placed on public display, setting the stage for a major confrontation between the NSW Government and Woollahra Council.
The draft rezoning proposal covers 168 hectares around Edgecliff station and a proposed new Woollahra station. Buildings of up to 34 storeys are proposed near Edgecliff, while developments of up to 32 storeys could be built around Woollahra station.
The NSW Government says the precinct will be transformed over the next 20 years, with new homes, shops, public space and transport links concentrated close to existing and future rail infrastructure.
Under the plans, seven new parks would be created alongside upgrades to six existing parks, producing about 3.5 hectares of new and improved open space. The proposal also includes up to nine kilometres of new walking and cycling routes, a larger Edgecliff retail centre and a new Woollahra local centre expected to support up to 1,000 jobs.
The government has proposed a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, with an affordable housing contribution starting at 3 per cent in perpetuity and rising to 15 per cent on some sites.
About 40 per cent of the new homes would be within 200 metres of a railway station. The proposed Woollahra station, on the Eastern Suburbs line, is scheduled to open in 2029 and would provide an eight-minute journey to Sydney’s CBD.
Premier Chris Minns said Sydney could not continue directing most of its growth towards western suburbs and the urban fringe while established areas near jobs, transport and services remained protected from new housing.
“We’re not asking Woollahra to solve the housing crisis on its own. We’re asking Woollahra to make a fair contribution, just as we’re asking communities right across Sydney to do,” Mr Minns said.
The proposal is likely to face strong opposition in a district dominated by two-storey houses, heritage areas and low-rise apartment blocks. Woollahra Council has argued that the state’s target is excessive and has put forward an alternative plan for up to 3,600 additional dwellings.
The council says its alternative takes greater account of heritage, traffic, trees, shade, infrastructure capacity and the existing character of Woollahra and Edgecliff. It has also questioned whether the proposed station and other infrastructure will be delivered quickly enough to support the scale of development.
However, Liberal councillor Sean Carmichael has criticised his council’s alternative as inadequate, arguing that it would fail to address the pressures facing renters and younger residents across Sydney.
“Up to 3600 units is not remotely the best we can do,” he said. “That number is not merely an inadequate answer to the state; it is an insult to every Sydneysider facing mortgage or rental stress – and to every younger Sydneysider who hopes one day to have a space of their own.”
The formal consultation period for the draft rezoning proposal runs from 8 September to 5pm on 7 October. The NSW Department of Planning is expected to consider submissions before making a recommendation, with the proposal due to be finalised in 2027.
