Pittwater Life February 2019 Issue

‘Towards 2040’ plan
targets housing, jobs
News
The process of changing
planning laws across
the entire Northern
Beaches local government
area into one rationalised Local
Environmental Plan (LEP)
and Development Control Plan
(DCP) has commenced – with
Northern Beaches Council
moving to assure residents
the outcome of the three-year
investigation will not result in
a “one size fits all” approach
to development across its 35
kilometres of suburbs.
Council has revealed its
‘Towards 2040’ local strategic
statement, which details
how it will work to achieve
its responsibilities as part of
the Northern District Plan for
the next 20 years, including
hitting new housing and new
employment targets.
The Northern District
includes the Northern Beaches
and is one of five districts
that make up ‘Greater Sydney’.
In all, NB Council has set a
target of 3,400 new dwellings
to be built by 2021 (triggered
retrospectively from 2016,
more than 1000 of these
homes and units have already
been built).
The document reveals the
majority growth will come
from south of Narrabeen, with
very little impact projected
north of Mona Vale.
“Many areas of the Northern
Beaches are simply not
suitable to accommodate
any growth,” Council says.
“Considerations will include
housing and access to public
transport, employment, and
other services; constraints
like bushland and flood prone
areas and considerations for
environmental and heritage
protection.
The recent setback and
uncertainty surrounding
the future development of
Ingleside was an example of
constraint.
Currently Northern Beaches
Council operates under four
separate LEPs and DCPs: one
for the former Pittwater and
Manly Council regions; and
two for the former Warringah.
Council says a new LEP and
DCP, supported by a local
strategic planning statement
and localised housing
strategy, would mean it had
a consistent, sustainable and
coordinated approach to planning
for the entire Northern
Beaches that would also recognise,
protect and retain the
uniqueness of certain areas.
It’s expected the new LEP
and DCP would be tabled in
mid 2020 and come into effect
later that year.
Council confirmed that
southern areas of the Northern
Beaches would bear
the brunt of targets. Future
housing that will contribute
to achieving targets included
capacity in existing zoned
areas (such as Dee Why Town
Centre), Warriewood Valley
and the Frenchs Forest
planned Precinct.
In Pittwater, Mona Vale has
been identified as an area for
small increases in dwelling
numbers.
Mayor Michael Regan said
the ‘Towards 2040’ document
was the first step in bringing
the community along, with
real transparency, before arriving
at decisions.
“We are at the beginning
of a process of talking to our
community and asking them
to help us develop controls
to ensure we protect and enhance
the elements that make
the Northern Beaches such a
great place to work and live,”
he said.
“This is about recognising
what is special about each
individual area and making
sure we maintain that character
into the future. It’s about
good planning that leaves our
kids with a Northern Beaches
they will love as much as we
do.”
CEO Ray Brownlee said:
“Sydney is growing; NSW is
growing; Australia is growing.
It’s through good strategic
planning that we can have
some influence on how
that looks on the Northern
Beaches 20 years from now.
“While this process is all
about introducing a consistent,
sustainable and more
coordinated approach to
planning as required by the
NSW Government, it’s not a
one-size-fits-all approach. It’s
about recognising the uniqueness
of the places that make
up the Northern Beaches. Ensuring
that the places where
people live, work and play will
be the best they can be for
many years to come.
“Planning is an umbrella to
everything we do and it’s for
this reason we really want the
community to understand the
role of good planning and be
involved in helping to create
our future.”
Pittwater Ward Councillor
20 FEBRUARY 2019
The Local Voice Since 1991