New NSW Labor Government planning changes impacting the Wahroonga electorate were announced days before they commenced on 28 February 2025, taking more planning control from local councils and affecting our neighbourhood’s character.

For the Wahroonga electorate, the greatest impact will be on normal residential zoned land R1 and R2 within 800 metres of Pennant Hills Marketplace Shopping Centre, Thornleigh Marketplace Shopping Centre, Hornsby Accelerated TOD precinct, Waitara Station, Wahroonga Station, Turramurra Station and Town Centre, Pymble Station, and St Ives Shopping Village. In these areas, on all R1 and R2 zoned land, flat buildings, terraces
and other multi-dwelling housing of 2 to 3 storeys can be built with reduced minimum lot sizes, floor space ratios and only 0.5 car parking spaces per property mandated. Within 400 metres of these railway stations or shopping
centres, land with R3 and R4 zoning will permit 6-storey flats and 4-storey flats within 400 to 800 metres.

Heritage conservation areas will be overridden, impacting many streets, including Burns Road Wahroonga and Ku-ring-gai Avenue Turramurra, for example.

To see how your neighbourhood is affected, you can view the indicative map, the NSW government's information and the new details of the Housing SEPP.

These new planning laws will dramatically increase local congestion. They have not been accompanied by any commitment from the Minns Labor Government to build new roads, schools, medical, recreational or other
local infrastructure.

The Minns Government also recently announced it will privatise Hillview Community Health Centre at Turramurra by selling the 10,000m2 Heritage conservation site to private property developers. This land was purchased by
the State Government in the 1970s for strategic health, road and transport reasons. The proposed sale will compromise any ability to upgrade the rail or road infrastructure at Turramurra in order to end the tidal-flow traffic
arrangements on the Pacific Highway or improve the safety of pedestrian crossing of the Pacific Highway to complement the revitalisation of the Turramurra Town Centre.

More affordable housing is essential, but development must proceed with planning and local infrastructure after community consultation. The one-size fits-all approach of the Minns Labor Government will not make a liveable city fit for the future.