A mayor has unleashed on government policies that sparked the development of tens of thousands of homes that are crammed into suburbs like sardines.
An image shared to social media of newly built properties crammed like sardines into an emerging subdivision in The Ponds, 45 kilometres from the Sydney CBD, recently went viral.The Ponds is part of Blacktown City Council, which sits within the New South Wales Government’s North West Growth Area – a designation that has fast-tracked housing to cope with the city’s booming population.
Most block sizes are 300 square metres – about half the size of an average lot in the 1990s, and dwellings can generally consume up to 85 per cent of that space.Rather than the local council setting its own rules on housing development, the Department of Planning controls land releases and density. That has placed “significant and additional demands” on transport infrastructure, the available of open green space, and community facilities.Blacktown’s population has boomed in recent years but the local mayor is concerned about the impacts.
As of June 2023, the Australian Bureau of Statistics puts the total number of people living in the Blacktown LGA at 426,602 – a seven per cent increase, or 30,000 more people, in just two years.but how suburbs are built is significantly contributing to even harsher conditions Most homes in new housing estates have dark roofs, which retain more heat and make ambient air temperatures higher, as well as dark brick colours and even dark driveways.Thermal imaging shows the extreme consequences of dark roofs and no tree cover in this Western Sydney housing estate.
“Drive to virtually anywhere in Western Sydney and you’ll be forgiven for thinking you’re in the same suburb,” Mr Austin said. “They all look identical to each other. Blacktown Mayor Tony Bleasdale says government infrastructure investment hasn’t kept pace with mass development. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi
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Source: FinancialReview - 🏆 2. / 90 Read more »