Coalition sets its sights on inner-west rail corridor for more housing

A rail corridor through the heart of Sydney’s inner west would be rezoned, allowing for up to 15,000 additional homes to be built, under an elected Coalition government.

In one of the Coalition’s first major election policy announcements, the rezoning proposal would see an 800-metre rezoning radius drawn around Erskineville train station and a 400-metre radius around Macdonaldtown, Newtown and St Peters stations.

The uplift would see apartments with height limits up to 150 metres, depending on airspace restrictions.

With less than 18 months until the next poll, housing is shaping to be one of the defining issues of the 2027 state election.

The inner-west rezoning proposal is the Coalition’s second foray into planning policy after announcing a proposal to redevelop Long Bay jail, in Sydney’s south-east, for 12,000 homes.

The proposal to reshape parts of Sydney’s inner-west would see apartment towers of up to 150 metres built around the four train stations that run through the electorates of Newtown and Heffron, held by Greens MP Jenny Leong and Labor frontbencher Ron Hoenig, respectively.

Schools surrounding the proposed rezoning corridor had capacity for additional students, according to a Liberal policy brief about the renewal, including Alexandria Park Community School, which had room for 500 more students.

New childcare centres, parks and shared community facilities would be considered as part of the master planning process, the brief stated.

The plan reflects the Transport Oriented Development zones announced by the Minns government in late 2023. Those reforms would see an 800-metre radius around eight heavy rail and metro stations rezoned to create greater density. Another 37 smaller transport hubs would experience less significant uplift.

None of the inner-west stations in the Liberals’ announcement have also been selected as government’s transport development zones.

Opposition leader Mark Speakman said the renewal would put housing in areas where amenities and services already existed.

“We’re putting forward a vision that makes sense for Sydney,” he said. “These are neighbourhoods with trains, hospitals, schools and universities on their doorstep. Our plan is about making sure the next generation can afford to live here too. We won’t sit by while others make excuses.”

There was already an upgrade planned for Macdonaldtown station, while a Liberal government would improve cycleways and safer walking links, said opposition transport spokeswoman Natalie Ward.

The Liberals pointed to other major renewal corridors in Sydney, including the up to 30,000 new dwellings in Green Square, and the Ashmore precinct in Erskineville.

The NSW government announced plans to build the “ghost station” at Woollahra in August, with the goal of creating up to 10,000 new homes between the new transport hub and Edgecliff.

The Liberals’ announcement comes with the Coalition languishing in the polls. The latest Resolve Strategic poll put Labor’s primary vote on 38 per cent, while the Coalition had slipped to 28 per cent.

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