Woollahra, Edgecliff rezoning to unlock up to 9,400 new homes

Sydney’s tightly held eastern suburbs could accommodate up to 9,400 new homes under a major rezoning proposal around Edgecliff and Woollahra, where building heights of more than 30 storeys are being proposed around two heavy rail stations.

The NSW Government has released its detailed draft rezoning proposal for the 168-hectare Edgecliff-Woollahra precinct, setting out how the area could evolve over the next two decades with significantly more housing, jobs, retail and open space.

At the centre of the proposal is the new Woollahra heavy rail station, which is expected to open in 2029 and will be the first new heavy rail station delivered in Sydney in more than a decade.

The station will sit on the existing T4 Eastern Suburbs Line and put Woollahra around eight minutes by train from the Sydney CBD.

The rezoning seeks to capitalise on both the new station and the existing Edgecliff Station, with around 40 per cent of the proposed new dwellings to be located within 200 metres of a train station.

The greatest density would be concentrated immediately around the two transport hubs.

Building heights of up to 34 storeys are proposed around Edgecliff Station, while sites surrounding the new Woollahra Station could accommodate buildings of up to 32 storeys.

The housing would span studios through to three-bedroom apartments, while the proposal also includes an affordable housing contribution of three per cent across the precinct, rising to as much as 15 per cent on certain sites.

The scale of the proposed rezoning represents a significant change for Woollahra, which has historically delivered relatively little new housing despite its proximity to the CBD and established transport and infrastructure.

The NSW Productivity Commission recently identified Woollahra as the most feasible local government area in NSW for new housing development, while dwelling approvals in the LGA have continued to lag many other parts of Sydney.

Planning and Public Spaces Minister Paul Scully said the rezoning would seek to change that.

“While Sydney’s population has grown Woollahra’s has shrunk, this rezoning will help to rectify that by unlocking thousands of new homes in the heart of Sydney close to transport, jobs, open space and services,” Scully said.

“This proposal will make the most of existing infrastructure capacity, a new Woollahra train station and an area ripe with housing opportunity, that’s been locked away for far too long.”

Housing growth would be accompanied by a significant expansion of the area's public domain.

Seven new parks are proposed alongside up to nine kilometres of new walking and cycling connections, while around 3.5 hectares of new and upgraded open space would be spread across 13 parks and a new Edgecliff plaza.

The government says 95 per cent of the proposed new homes would sit within 400 metres of open space measuring at least 3,000 sqm.

There would also be no net loss of tree canopy across the precinct.

Edgecliff would see its existing mixed-use centre expanded, while a new local centre would be established at Woollahra, collectively supporting around 1,000 new jobs as well as additional shops, services and amenities.

Existing heritage items would be retained and incorporated into the future planning framework.

The rezoning will also play a role in funding the new Woollahra Station.

Development within 800 metres of the station would be subject to a Transport Project Component contribution of $15,000 per dwelling or $200 per sqm of new commercial gross floor area, allowing part of the uplift created through the rezoning to contribute towards the station's delivery.

Transport Minister John Graham said work was progressing on the station design ahead of construction.

“The future residents of these homes will be eight minutes from the CBD on a train line that was built decades ago,” Graham said.

“As we get to work on the rezoning, we’re also working on the design of the new Woollahra train station which we expect to start building next year.”

The Edgecliff-Woollahra proposal forms part of a much broader state-led rezoning program across NSW.

There are currently 67 state-led rezonings either completed or progressing, which the government estimates could ultimately accommodate around 240,000 homes and 170,000 jobs.

Twenty-four have already been completed, unlocking capacity for more than 79,000 homes and 56,000 jobs, while another 43 are progressing.

The Edgecliff-Woollahra draft rezoning is on public exhibition until 5pm on October 7.