Mayor Calls Out NSW Government's Planning Policy Fail

Published on 22 July 2025

The Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Michelle Byrne says the NSW Government is “planning to fail” by upzoning land in Baulkham Hills and Castle Hill for an additional 7,000 homes without any concurrent infrastructure planning.

The NSW Government’s new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy has major implications for Baulkham Hills and Castle Hill, overriding local planning controls with a 36 per cent increase to the number of expected homes in Castle Hill (8300 to 11,300 dwellings) and a tripling of the number of homes expected in Baulkham Hills (from 1,900 to 6,150).

This sudden increase is on top of the 47,000 homes already permitted within the Shire’s Metro and Greenfield Precincts and a further 11,900 homes that Council has strategically planned for.

Mayor Byrne slammed the policy - which permits dual occupancies, duplexes, terraces, townhouses, apartments and shop top housing within 800 metres from a nominated town centre or transport hub.

“The NSW Government’s panic to solve the housing crisis is leading to rushed decisions with no foresight. Our community is already at a breaking point with choked roads and a severe shortage of sporting fields and schools,” Mayor Byrne said.

“To impose another 7,000 homes with zero infrastructure planning or funding isn’t just poor planning—it’s a complete failure by Government to support the very communities it claims to be helping.

“Thousands of new homes equates to tens of thousands of new people using the same roads, schools, libraries, and other community facilities. Our population is growing, but Government has no plan in place to control growth. I am concerned that future communities may experience a lower quality of life than what current residents enjoy,” Mayor Byrne added.

Council is now forced to urgently allocate a combined $445,000 to carry out essential planning work (preliminary concepts, costings, and reports) necessary to address the massive infrastructure shortfall.

“We are not just in a housing crisis, but an infrastructure crisis that is only getting worse by planning policies that don’t look beyond the houses to see the bigger picture,” Mayor Byrne said.  

In addition to this, it has been reported that the NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully MP is considering a plan to allow new terraces, townhouses, and six-storey apartment blocks to bypass council development applications (DAs), and this would allow these developments to be approved within the month without any consideration to the character of the area or the scale of development.

“This is a dangerous proposal that will accelerate the recurring failures of the private certification system,” Mayor Byrne said.

“The idea that a major development like an apartment block could bypass the DA process reveals a fundamental lack of understanding. We are racing toward an approval system without independent oversight or consideration for adjoining landowners—a system that will inevitably lead to disastrous outcomes.

“A better approach would be to identify and resolve the real bottlenecks in DA processing, such as conflicting expert opinions on issues like ecology versus bushfire safety.”

In response, Council is urging residents to sign its Fight for a Fairer Hills Future petition on the NSW Parliament website. The campaign calls on the NSW and Federal Governments to commit to vital infrastructure, including:

• Funding for 40 additional sports fields
• Upgrades to 45 key regional roads
• Delivery of 13 new public schools (primary and high school)
• Addressing the $207 million infrastructure deficit in Box Hill

“The petition has already gathered over 17,000 signatures. Reaching the 20,000-signature threshold is crucial, as it will trigger a formal debate in the NSW Parliament, forcing the Premier and the Government to answer to our community,” Mayor Byrne said.

“We are not NIMBYs, but if the NSW Government wants to increase the number of homes being built in our area, then it needs to be done properly. We need the infrastructure to match the population increase.”

It takes 30 seconds to sign the petition and support a fairer future for The Hills.

Sign the petition here.

To learn more about the campaign, visit: https://hillshaveyoursay.thehills.nsw.gov.au/fairerhillsfuture