Have Your Say Canterbury Bankstown
We are preparing a submission to the NSW Government’s TOD Program and updating the community on how it will affect Punchbowl and Wiley Park.
The NSW Government’s TOD Program is part of state planning reforms aimed at building new homes near key train stations, including Punchbowl and Wiley Park. This involves setting standard rules for zoning, building heights and density within 400 metres of the stations.
While the TOD Program's intent to increase housing supply is good, we do not believe that the best way of achieving this is to propose a blanket approach across the state.
In its February 2024 submission to the NSW Government’s TOD and Low to Mid Rise Housing Programs, Council requested that it lead the planning for Punchbowl and Wiley Park and that adequate time was given for Council to do its own master planning, rather than applying blanket TOD and Low to Mid Rise controls. In response, both village centres were confirmed as TOD Precincts in May 2024 on the basis that planning was completed by June 2025.
The NSW Government has mandated a brief period for CBCity to complete any local planning work in Punchbowl and Wiley Park. In August 2024, the NSW Government released a guide for councils on how to undertake local planning of TOD precincts. This document outlined that the intended changes to planning controls in the TOD precincts has already been communicated to the public and they have therefore recommended a targeted two-week engagement period.
To better suit the needs of our community, we have developed an alternative approach and are seeking your feedback from Wednesday 7 May 2025–Wednesday 21 May 2025.
Our approach takes employment, open space, community needs, heritage, transport and environmental constraints into close consideration. We believe that this place-based approach is essential to ensuring that Punchbowl and Wiley Park grow into a places that our community loves and takes pride in.
Council’s alternative approach
The NSW Government has given us until June 2025 to submit our feedback. Based on our Precinct Plan work, we’ve developed an alternative to the TOD Program that better fits Punchbowl and Wiley Park’s needs. Our plan focuses on:
In 2019, we completed our Local Strategic Planning Statement Connective City 2036. This document sets out a high-level land-use vision for Canterbury-Bankstown, including a centres based approach to growth. A centres based approach to growth means that most of our future jobs and housing growth will occur in existing centres with existing infrastructure and transport access.
We have completed master plans for our city’s two largest centres, Bankstown and Campsie. And we are waiting for the master plans for Canterbury, Lakemba and Belmore to be implemented by the NSW Government. CBCity’s master planning program has earned recognition from both government and industry for its innovative approach in planning for jobs growth, sustainability, urban design and managing community risk through orderly planning.
In December 2023, the NSW Government announced the TOD Program for Greater Sydney, Hunter, Central Coast and Illawarra regions. The planning reforms aim to ensure that NSW meets its commitments under the National Housing Accord and statewide housing targets. The program comprises of a series of changes to planning controls to areas within 400 metres of identified train stations and town centres. In Canterbury-Bankstown this includes Canterbury, Belmore, Lakemba, Wiley Park and Punchbowl. The changes include:
From May 2024, the NSW Government began implementing these changes to planning controls in several precincts through the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 (Housing SEPP). The NSW Government has not implemented these controls in Canterbury-Bankstown as Council is undertaking its own planning for these centres.
For Punchbowl and Wiley Park, the NSW Government has set a short timeframe for Council to complete its local planning work, which is June 2025.
The NSW Government has indicated that if CBCity’s precinct planning for Punchbowl and Wiley Park is not completed by this deadline, the planning controls described above would be implemented and remain in place until the finalisation of any local planning work. The NSW Government also requires any precinct planning in TOD precincts to deliver the same, or a greater amount, of housing than would be expected under the TOD Program.
More information on the TOD Program and the requirements for Council’s undertaking strategic planning in these precincts can be accessed here.
Place-based approach that considers local character, context and constraints:
The approach to height and density is based on the unique aspects of the local context and character of Punchbowl and Wiley Park. This place-based approach locates new housing in key strategic areas while also retaining and celebrating areas that have great local character. It also considers existing development and environmental constraints that may make some areas inappropriate for new housing.
Increased housing in the right locations and ensuring height and density is context-responsive:
Rather than a blanket six-storeys within an 400m radius under the TOD controls, an alternative approach allows for a well-considered and tested built form strategy. This strategy helps locate increased height and density in the right places while preserving the character of other areas and ensuring that there is adequate built form transition of height and scale.
Alignment of community infrastructure and public domain enhancements with increased housing:
Open space provision and streetscape upgrades are proposed for areas that need it across the centres and new development helps to deliver these initiatives. This will be essential to ensure that Punchbowl and Wiley Park remain places that people love to live and work in.
Deliver more housing sooner in the short to medium term across the centres than the TOD Program:
Our alternative approach delivers more housing across both centres than the TOD Program and contributes to realising the strategic potential of Punchbowl and Wiley Park. The approach can also deliver greater housing diversity, more affordable housing and better design quality for new buildings.
We carried out early engagement in October 2024 to hear from the community.
The draft Precinct Plan is now ready for review from Wednesday 7 May 2025 - Wednesday 21 May 2025
Timeline item 1 - complete
Tuesday 15 October 2024 – Monday 28 October 2024
Early Community Engagement
Council sought early contributions from the community.
Timeline item 2 - complete
Review of early engagement and drafting of the Precinct Plan
The Plan was developed by Council’s multidisciplinary team of experts with consideration of the early engagement findings.
Timeline item 3 - active
Wednesday 7 May 2025 – Wednesday 21 May 2025 5:00pm
Engaging with the community on our alternative approach
Timeline item 4 - incomplete
Review of submissions
Following this engagement period submissions and feedback received will be reviewed.
Timeline item 5 - incomplete
Report to Council
The alternative approach will be reported to Council in June 2025 for their consideration.
Timeline item 6 - incomplete
Implementation
If supported by Councillors, CBCity will formally make a submission to the NSW Government. The NSW Government is responsible for deciding on changes to planning controls in Punchbowl and Wiley Park.
We will also prepare amendments to our Development Control Plan and undertake more detailed public domain planning to support any changes in Punchbowl and Wiley Park. These will provide more detailed guidelines for future built form and involve further engagement and consultation with the community.
If you have questions or want to learn more about the project, please email us or contact the Council officers listed below.
| haveyoursay@cbcity.nsw.gov.au | |
| In writing | By post to Mr Matthew Stewart, CEO, City of Canterbury Bankstown PO Box 8, Bankstown NSW 1885 |
The City of Canterbury Bankstown acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land, water and skies of Canterbury-Bankstown, the Darug (Darag, Dharug, Daruk, Dharuk) People. We recognise and respect Darug cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the land. We acknowledge the First Peoples’ continuing importance to our Canterbury-Bankstown community.
