Ku-ring-gai Council is taking the state government to court to block its planning reforms. But even in NIMBY central, attitudes about housing policy are starting to shift.
Halfway through a council meeting on the night of March 25, it became clear Ku-ring-gai’s elected representatives were not against Premier Chris Minns’ housing reforms purely to guard their own wicket. They were on a mission from God.
The council has very publicly positioned itself as the bulwark against Minns’ housing agenda. Its main target is the transport-oriented development program, which amends planning rules within 400 metres of certain train stations to allow apartment buildings up to six storeys. Of the scheme’s 37 stations, Ku-ring-gai has four: Roseville, Lindfield, Killara and Gordon.
“I’m actually of the view that we can support a lot more housing in Ku-ring-gai,” says Ku-ring-gai Mayor Sam Ngai.The local government area of Ku-ring-gai is the heart of Sydney’s proverbially leafy north shore. It takes in some of the city’s wealthiest suburbs, from Roseville in the south to Turramurra and St Ives further north. It is home to schools such as Pymble Ladies College, Knox Grammar and Ravenswood School for Girls. In Killara, the median house price has topped $3.5 million.
Ngai, who was 40 when he was elected last year, making him the youngest ever Ku-ring-gai mayor, says he’s not against that target. “I’m actually of the view that we can support a lot more housing in Ku-ring-gai,” he told a recent council meeting. “I’ve got three children and one day I hope that they can live close by. I need someone to look after me when I get old.”his council is planning alternative scenarios to match or exceed the state government’s housing targets.
But Tulip, who is an ALP member and involved in housing advocacy group Sydney YIMBY, also recognises the political opportunism at play on both sides.Credit:“ want to be seen as fighting for their community and taking the strongest stance against the proposals as they can,” Tulip says. When Coles put forward a redevelopment proposal in 2013, the council saw a threat to its vision, and commenced its own master plan, which it finalised in 2016. But it didn’t have $120 million to make it a reality.
Across the road, another ageing shopping complex features an IGA, more stores and a parking lot. That site was the subject of a planning proposal by Turra Developments Pty Ltd in April 2022 that included redeveloping the commercial centre, paving a new road, creating a new public park and building 248 apartments in towers of 15 storeys.
In 2011, as part of “Friends of Turramurra”, she helped overturn an earlier state government plan for more housing on the north shore through a successful Land and Environment Court challenge. Cowley says she supports rezoning based on strategic local government planning and community consultation, not by the state. She doubts the new housing targets are achievable, but in any case, she does not accept that increasing housing supply will improve affordability.
A developer wants to rezone a key site in central Lindfield, on the highway, near the train station and opposite a new Coles supermarket, to allow a 15-storey building. If it eventuated, it would be the tallest building in Ku-ring-gai. On Tuesday, councillor Simon Lennon moved to reject the proposal in its entirety, as did colleague Martin Smith. But Mayor Sam Ngai backed the staff recommendation, for the same reasons given by Tulip. He said four years ago, he would have agreed the proposal should be stopped.
Nine storeys won the day, five votes to two, with Ngai losing the vote. Alec Taylor, who switched to support the nine-storey option, said: “We need to regain control of our planning, and to do that we need to signal to the government, NSW and our community that we are willing to compromise.”
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