Dr Michelle Byrne – Mayor of the Hills Shire Council
The NSW Government has decided to finalise the Cherrybrook Rezoning – and it’s significantly different from the Cherrybrook Place Strategy our residents expected that was developed through extensive community consultation.
The original Place Strategy proposed around 3,200 additional dwellings. The final rezoning could now allow up to 10,000 homes, more than tripling the number initially presented to residents. Building heights have also increased, with developments near Cherrybrook Metro Station permitted to reach up to 27 storeys.
I understand the Government is trying to address the housing crisis, but growth must be matched with the infrastructure required to support it. Unfortunately, the final rezoning is solely focused on housing targets while leaving important infrastructure questions unresolved.
Throughout the consultation process, residents consistently raised concerns about building heights and density. Rather than reducing these impacts, the final outcome introduces even greater density than originally proposed. This reflects a planning approach that prioritises housing yield without adequately addressing local character, infrastructure capacity and community needs.
I will be writing to the relevant Ministers to make it clear that if this is the strategy the Government intends to pursue, it must also commit to the infrastructure needed to support it. This includes upgrading Castle Hill Road and New Line Road, funding new parks, sporting fields and community facilities, securing a site for a future primary school, and outlining how the Metro network, which is already operating at capacity during peak periods, will accommodate the additional population growth.
Our community should not be expected to absorb this level of growth without a clear commitment to the roads, schools, public spaces and transport infrastructure needed to support it. Growth must be properly planned, funded and supported.