Sydney Metro Precinct Deal Drags On

Landcom and Sydney Metro will need more time to try to deliver two Sydney Metro stations and precincts after delays working with The Hills Shire Council.

The plans for Bella Vista and Kellyville precincts, including the creation of up 5700 homes, were granted consent from the planning minister on December 1, 2022.

Despite a looming deadline for an agreement with the council within a year, it took until February for The Hills Shire to identify numerous issues with the plans and the offer.

“Council’s letter … made the finalisation of the planning agreement a more complex and time-consuming exercise than was envisaged at the time consent was granted,” the application for the extension said.

“Despite Landcom and the council’s best endeavours, the planning agreements for SSD 10343 and SSD 10344 will not be able to be entered into by the latest date stated in the consent, December 1, 2023.”

Landcom’s lawyers submitted a revised letter of offer and further version of the draft planning agreement in May, and have continued to refine the wording.

The draft voluntary planning agreement was put to a Hills Shire Council meeting in early December and passed unanimously.

However, a 28-day public notification was also required after the holiday period, pushing the plan timeline out further. 

The NSW government granted the extension, giving the two parties until the start of August next year to reach an agreement.

▲ Landcom made the offer to The Hills Shire council for Bella Vista precinct on behalf of Sydney Metro and the NSW government.

The voluntary planning agreements were valued at $143.6 million and in the council’s meeting the benefits of transferring the responsibility for delivering 83 per cent of the contributions plan was noted.

“In transferring this obligation to Landcom and future developers, the council would be isolated from the risks associated with escalating land and capital costs, as the requirement would be for the developer to deliver the infrastructure, irrespective of the actual cost,” the council’s summary said.

Bella Vista would provide up to 3804 homes as well as a new primary school. It would have a 68m height limit.

A 50m heigh limit would be in effect in Kellyville, where 1910 homes would be created as well as public space.

This two projects would create 457,000sq m of residential, 151,000sq m of commercial, 25,700sq m of retail, 80,000sq m of public space and 15,000sq m of community space.