The New South Wales government has revealed a draft plan to build up to 9,400 new homes around Edgecliff and a brand-new railway station at Woollahra.
The detailed 20-year rezoning proposal covers 168 hectares of prime eastern suburbs land. It aims to tackle the state’s housing crisis while rebalancing city development after years of pushing Sydney’s growth towards Western Sydney.
Central to the project is Sydney’s first new heavy rail station in over a decade. Once operational in 2029, Woollahra station will connect residents on the T4 Eastern Suburbs Line to the CBD in just eight minutes.
To support the population influx, the draft framework permits building heights reaching up to 34 storeys near Edgecliff station and 32 storeys around Woollahra station.
Up to 40 per cent of all new dwellings will sit within 200 metres of a train station, offering studio, one, two, and three-bedroom options.
The plan mandates a 3 per cent affordable housing contribution, scaling up to 15 per cent in perpetuity for select sites. It also introduces 3.5 hectares of new and upgraded green space across 13 parks, nine kilometres of walking and cycle paths, and an expanded Edgecliff Centre expected to generate 1,000 local jobs.
Premier Chris Minns said the proposal ensures established suburbs with existing services pull their weight.
“We can’t keep pushing all of Sydney’s growth to the west and the urban fringe while established suburbs close to jobs, transport and services are locked away from new housing,” Minns said.
To help fund the new station, developers within 800 metres will pay a Transport Project Component contribution of $15,000 per dwelling or $200 per square metre of commercial space.
The project is the latest of 67 state-led rezonings across NSW that will deliver approximately 240,000 new homes and 170,000 jobs.
“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,” added Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully.
Community feedback is open via the NSW Planning Portal until October 7.
