The Housing Delivery Authority reform aims to simplify the current planning system by reducing red tape, to speed up the delivery of new homes across NSW.
In a bid to potentially reduce approval timelines by years, proposals undertaken through both the Housing Delivery Authority and rezoning process will be assessed by the State instead of local councils.
What is the Housing Delivery Authority?
The Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) is a new body created within the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) responsible for overseeing the streamlined state-led approval pathway.
The HDA will come into effect in early 2025 and includes the Secretary of the Premier’s Department, the Secretary of the Department of Planning, and the Chief Executive Officer of Infrastructure NSW.
The pathway will be available for new housing developments above $60 million in Greater Sydney (on average 100 homes or more), and housing developments with a cost of approximately $30 million in regional NSW (on average 40 homes or more).
To be eligible for the HDA pathway, proposals will be selected through an expression of interest (EOI) process with established criteria and will be assessed on merit. The Minister for Planning and Public Spaces will remain the consent authority for all projects assessed through this pathway.
What is the new rezoning process?
The NSW Government is also introducing a new rezoning process for selected projects requiring significant rezoning to deliver increased housing supply. Similarly to the HDA, projects under the rezoning process will be assessed by the DPHI instead of council.
The HDA will be responsible for selecting eligible projects under this pathway, and applicants can submit rezoning proposals for consideration through an EOI process. The HDA is currently consulting with stakeholders to determine the set of criteria for rezoning proposals, which will be in accordance with the State’s housing priorities.
Under the rezoning process, new projects will be allowed to go through rezoning and development assessment simultaneously.
What are the benefits of the new reform?
By reducing the number of complex development applications assessed by councils, the reform aims to increase the capacity of councils to assess less complex development applications – in turn helping to shorten approval timelines.
How can BRS assist?
Our core services are in the rezoning, DA approval and delivery of residential subdivisions in the Greater Sydney region and throughout regional NSW.
In NSW, employment zones support long-term economic growth through the creation of jobs and increased productivity. The Wyong Employment Zone (WEZ) was rezoned over a decade ago to provide employment lands over the next 25 years to cater for expected growth in the LGA. However, despite the strategic importance of the WEZ, several development challenges need to be resolved to unlock its full potential.
What is the Wyong Employment Zone?
The WEZ incorporates 744-hectares of land, including 340-hectares of employment zoned land, and is located adjacent to the nationally significant M1 Motorway and Sparks Road interchange.
The site has been identified as a project of State Significance and was rezoned under the State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) (Major projects) in 2008. The WEZ is currently zoned E4 General Industrial, C2 Environmental Conservation, C3 Environmental Management and SP2 Infrastructure under the Wyong Local Environmental Plan 2013.
Why is the Wyong Employment Zone strategically important?
The WEZ is located within Greater Warnervale, an area of the Central Coast that has experienced considerable growth over the past two decades and contains most of the future urban growth opportunities in the LGA.
According to the Greater Warnervale Structure Plan, the population of Greater Warnervale is expected to grow from 36,846 people to approximately 64,044 people by 2041.
To support this expected growth, the WEZ is set to provide local employment opportunities in transport, freight, warehousing, logistics and manufacturing, given its strategic positioning near the M1 Motorway and accessibility to the Sydney and Newcastle/Hunter regions.
The sizeable area of industrial zoned land included in the WEZ is required to be released to provide significant employment opportunities, including the creation of a minimum of 6,000 local jobs.
What are the strategic development challenges?
Despite being rezoned for industrial development over a decade ago, several strategic development challenges are delaying the WEZ and subsequently the creation of significant employment opportunities for the current and future population of the area.
One of the key issues is the lack of government funding available for road and infrastructure upgrades required to unlock development in the WEZ. This includes a major upgrade to the Sparks Road and Mountain Road intersection – a critical piece of infrastructure that requires upgrading before development consent is granted for several proposed developments in the WEZ.
The onus currently falls on the individual developers to provide funding for the intersection upgrade in addition to substantial lead in costs for the provision of sewerage connections. The cost of works for the provision of infrastructure is significant and to date, no projects have commenced due to the infrastructure cost burdens that render the developments economically unviable.
According to the Central Coast Regional Plan 2041, a coordinated review is required for the WEZ, including the Sparks Road and Pacific Highway corridors, to ensure delivery, infrastructure and biodiversity offset actions are prioritised.
However, the current lack of a coordinated approach and funding available to progress the critical infrastructure required to unlock the WEZ has left proposed developments stuck at a crossroads.
Our Involvement in the Wyong Employment Zone
BRS has been involved in several key developments in the WEZ that are strategically important in unlocking economic opportunities for the area.
Sparks Road, Halloran – Industrial Warehousing and Service Centre Development
Our team is providing planning, civil engineering, surveying and traffic engineering services for the proposed rezoning of part of a 4.51-hectare site located at Sparks Road, Halloran.
The site is strategically located at the intersection of Sparks Road and Mountain Road, forming the gateway entry to the WEZ. The proposed development includes 17 new industrial units, a service station, takeaway food and drink premises, a carwash facility, 163 car parking spaces, stormwater detention ponds and landscaping including riparian zone revegetation.
To progress the development, BRS is designing the Sparks Road and Mountain Road intersection upgrade for our client and subject to approval, will work with various landowners to create a shared funding mechanism to equitably share the costs.
Mountain Road, Halloran – Industrial Subdivision
Our team is providing planning, civil engineering and traffic engineering services required to obtain development consent for a proposed 20-lot industrial subdivision at Mountain Road, Halloran.
Located on a 16.58-hectare site, the proposed subdivision includes 18 industrial lots and 2 residual lots ranging in size from 3,700m to 3.23 hectares, with associated works including roads, drainage and earthworks.
The site is ideally positioned along Mountain Road and gains access via the Sparks Road and Mountain Road intersection.
What are the next steps to unlocking the Wyong Employment Zone?
The proposed developments in the WEZ have the potential to bolster the local economy and provide significant employment opportunities for the area’s growing population.
There are currently over 100-hectares of land located in the Mountain Road precinct, which can only progress following infrastructure upgrades, including the Sparks Road and Mountain Road intersection and connections to sewer and water.
To unlock the WEZ, a collaborative and consistent approach is required from all levels of government to progress critical developments including the Mountain Road intersection. Until this can be achieved, developments in the WEZ remain stuck at a crossroads.
How can BRS assist?
Our experienced team has worked on several key development sites located in the Wyong Employment Zone, ensuring we are well-resourced and positioned to provide our full range of services for your next project.
For further information on how we can assist with your development in the Wyong Employment Zone, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
In our ‘day in the life’ blog series, we aim to showcase the work of our talented team and help you get to know the faces behind our projects a little better. This month we sat down with Ignacio, a Graduate Engineer in our Coffs Harbour office, to chat a bit more about what led him to work as an Engineer in Australia and what he enjoys most about being part of our certification team.
Tell us a bit about yourself and what interested you in engineering.
I’m a 30 year old Chilean living in Australia for nearly 5 years now. Always liked sports, mainly soccer and surfing, and any outdoor activity. Very social person always surrounded by friends.
The main reason why I studied engineering was because I like maths and physics. I wasn’t quite sure I wanted engineering, but I was pretty positive I wasn’t going to do well in any other field outside maths.
What does a typical workday look like for you and what brings you the most enjoyment in your role?
On a typical workday, I start my day with an early surf (~6 AM) and then head back home to relax by the balcony with a cup of coffee.
I would then go to the office for my regular working hours. I really like the environment that we have in the office, where we manage to work at an efficient pace while allowing us to also interact with each other on work-related and non-work-related stuff.
Once my working hours are finished, I would drive to the beach to check if I can squeeze in a second session of surfing (if it’s not too windy!). If there are no waves I would either chill by the beach, go skateboarding or work out at home.
I like to finish my days with a nice dinner and a good TV show.
What’s it like being part of BRS’ certification team? Are there any standout projects you’re currently working on?
Working for BRS’ certification team has been such a good experience. The whole team is very easy to get along with, which makes the work environment and relationship between workmates really good.
We have a number of developments we are currently doing private certification work for. The largest project we are currently engaged for is the Moonee Parkland Estate which is a State Significant Development where BRS will be the Principal Certifier.
What’s been the most memorable aspect of working at BRS so far?
I think one of the aspects of the company that has impacted me the most is the relationship between workers. Noting the annual conferences, Christmas parties, Surfest, etc. I’ve come to realise how important it is for the company to maintain these sorts of activities which have a huge impact on the relationship between coworkers, of course in a good way!
Looking back at your career, is there anything that has surprised you about working in engineering?
I’m going to be honest here, I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to do engineering when I went to Uni. Once I finished Uni, I wasn’t quite sure which engineering field I wanted to work in and that’s why I decided to go overseas and do some travelling (reason why I ended up in Australia). After doing construction labouring for nearly my whole 3 years of Working Holiday, I ended up realising that the civil engineering field was something I wanted to try. I 100% do not regret it.
Finally, what advice do you have for anyone considering a career in engineering?
Go for it. Even if you are not sure of the exact field you want to work in, engineering will open so many doors in the future once you find out what you want to do (as long as you like maths lol).
Want to get to know our team a bit better?
Check out our other ‘day in the life of’ blogs to learn more about our talented team.
