Up to 10,000 new dwellings and a heavy rail station are set to be brought online with the NSW Government’s latest planning proposal to renew Woollahra train station and rezone the surrounding area. In a bid to make the most of existing infrastructure in high-amenity areas, the government is looking to increase housing density in Sydney’s east, facilitated by the upgrade of the local ‘ghost’ train station. The bones of Woollahra train station were initially constructed by the Wran Government almost 50 years ago, though the station was never utilised with budget constraints and local opposition playing their respective roles.  

In 2024, Shelter NSW commissioned urban planner and housing policy expert Dr. Gary Cox to assess the Government’s Transport Oriented Development (TOD) reform and examine whether more could be done to maximise the reform’s benefits. Rail lands and additional prospective TOD sites are noted in the Homes for All: Social and Affordable Housing Opportunities Around Train Stations discussion paper. In this research Dr. Cox noted that the disused Woollahra train station provided the government with the opportunity for over-station development. 

The Woollahra proposal is in the spirit of facilitating housing supply in high-amenity areas with ready access to places of work, retail and community facilities. Shelter NSW’s welcomes the government’s ambition when it comes finding creative solutions to the housing crisis and maximising the utility of existing land and infrastructure.  

Though, details on affordability are currently lacking. With the rezoning expected to take two years, it may be some time before the exact provisions of social and affordable housing in the area are known. In an area where median rents exceed that of Greater Sydney, a lack of affordability measures may work to minimise any meaningful impact this proposal could have on addressing housing affordability.  

We encourage the government to apply the same level of ambition to the provision of social and affordable housing in the rezoned area as they have been in pursuing this project as a whole. At a minimum, Shelter NSW would encourage the government to follow the recommendations of the Cox report and require a 10% affordable housing contribution.