Transport Oriented Development Program

Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie) (21:00): I raise the issue of the Transport Oriented Development [TOD] Program and its significant effect on my electorate of Lake Macquarie. I have spoken on a number of occasions about the housing crisis affecting the State and the need to increase housing supply, in particular affordable housing and housing for essential workers. Earlier this week, along with a number of my crossbench colleagues and union representatives, I called for the establishment of a Legislative Assembly select committee on essential worker housing. I look forward to it being established.

I have always been an advocate for increased housing close to transport hubs—it just makes sense. It reduces road congestion and subsequent carbon emissions. It improves community members' health and wellbeing, and strengthens local economies and communities. I support well-planned reform to deliver additional housing around transport and community hubs. I will not speak tonight about the eight priority precincts included in part one of the Transport Orientated Development Program; I will leave that for members who represent the electorates in which the accelerated precincts are located. I do note that the Government has announced a $520 million investment for community infrastructure such as critical road upgrades, active transport links and good quality public open spaces for those eight priority precincts. Those investments are essential to allow infrastructure to be delivered to support the additional growth that will follow the State-led rezoning in those precincts.

My concern is about the three communities with rail stations in my electorate that have been included in the 31 stations identified in part two of the Transport Oriented Development Program and that will be affected by the amendments to planning controls. The potential for significant population growth in Lake Macquarie has been evident to me for many years. There are obvious reasons for that growth, including the natural beauty and amenity of the area. It is unsurprising to me that Booragul, Morisset and Teralba stations have all been identified for new planning controls. Morisset, in particular, was previously identified within theHunter Regional Plan 2041 as a regionally significant growth area and has already experienced significant growth in recent years.

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics census data, the suburbs within postal area 2284, which includes Booragul and Teralba, experienced a 20 per cent increase in population and a 15 per cent increase in the number of households between 2016 and 2021. That growth trajectory has continued. The Government has stated that that the State environmental planning policy [SEPP] changes that will apply to the 31 identified stations will create capacity for an additional 138,000 new homes over the next 15 years. That suggests an average of 4,451 new homes per identified station—or, in the case of Lake Macquarie, over 13,000 new homes within the Morisset, Booragul and Teralba Transport Oriented Development precincts alone. I acknowledge that some of the 31 precincts will attract a higher level of development than others, but it is clear that it is expected that the SEPP changes will lead to significant increases in the number of homes and the population in Lake Macquarie.

While I appreciate the announcement of $520 million in funding for community infrastructure in the accelerated precincts identified in the TOD program, additional community infrastructure commitments are also needed in the 31 precincts identified in part two of the program. My community has already experienced significant growth without sufficient infrastructure in place to support it. I have talked about that many times in this House. Significant road projects have been funded yet remain in the planning stage, almost no public health services are located within the electorate and there is a lack of sporting and other community facilities.

While I am assured that planning is occurring on a number of infrastructure projects, the community is not seeing that planning or any progress. Other infrastructure and service needs also have not received commitments but are badly needed. They include commuter car parks around train stations, including Morisset, along with much-needed health services. While I support well-planned development around transport hubs, the cart cannot continue to come before the horse. Part of well-planned development means well-planned neighbourhoods, with amenity, services and facilities to support communities in those precincts. At the moment we are lacking the planning and funding for infrastructure, services and community amenity around the three announced precincts in Lake Macquarie that fall within the 31 stage two precincts.

The SEPP changes and new planning controls are proposed to come into effect from next month. While developments will take time to go through planning processes and development contributions will be made to support local infrastructure, State commitments to health services, roads, schools, police and other emergency service resources also need to be made to support the projected population growth. I call on the Government to ensure that long-overdue infrastructure is delivered as part of any further intensification of development in those three centres.