A proposal for two 40-storey residential buildings in Bella Vista is being fast-tracked by the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority (HDA). The proposal bypasses the Government’s own Transport Oriented Development (TOD) rezoning controls for the precinct, which were only gazetted in November 2024.
Under the original TOD program, the site at 9-11 Mawson Avenue, Bella Vista, was zoned to allow for three buildings of eight, 18, and 22 storeys, estimated to result in approximately 430 new dwellings. The new proposal for two 40-storey towers would result in more than 900 dwellings, more than doubling the capacity set by the recently implemented planning controls. The project will be assessed by the Department as State Significant Development.
Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Michelle Byrne, has raised concerns regarding the fast-tracking process.
“If the NSW Government trashes its own freshly minted planning controls, then the public of NSW cannot take a word they say seriously,” Mayor Byrne stated.
She questioned the efficiency of the planning process: “How can you spend all that time and money on completing detailed planning studies and urban design testing to put in place new controls, only to then throw everything out the window as soon as a developer comes along with an overcooked proposal?”
Mayor Byrne highlighted infrastructure concerns, noting that the TOD rezoning of Bella Vista-Kellyville is expected to bring over 23,200 people to the area without an announced primary or high school, or funding for additional sports fields and community facilities.
She further added, “Apart from the proposal being wildly inappropriate for that site, residents are fed up with the Government’s plans for our community that aren’t supported with the infrastructure our community needs.”
The Mayor also referenced her council’s efforts to meet housing targets. “When it comes to helping the state and federal government meet their Housing Accord targets, no one is doing more to help them than The Hills Shire, with 4,213 dwellings approved during the accord period,” she said. She welcomed support from other local government areas, noting, “I’m glad that City of Parramatta has also voiced serious concerns with the Housing Delivery Authority.”
Mayor Byrne concluded with a call for greater collaboration: “I call on the Government to work with us, rather than despite us, as they are currently doing with the Housing Delivery Authority. I also call on the NSW Opposition to hold this Government to account – at the moment, councils are being completely blindsided.”
