Canterbury-Bankstown Council has become the first local government to complete its own Transport Oriented Development (TOD) masterplan, adding 3200 homes to the NSW Government’s plans.

The state made agreements with 12 councils after the announcement of the TOD program that imposed a tight deadline for councils to meet.

The TOD planning controls will be rolled out progressively until mid-2025, however, Canterbury-Bankstown Council is ahead of the game.

Its masterplan is more detailed than the state’s overall TOD approach.

It ecompasses a 400m radius around the metro station with towers up to 25 stores and creating 12,550 homes.

The plans also include eight character areas to retain or enhance specific neighborhoods around Bankstown, 29km south-west of the Sydney CBD.

The next TODs expected to be finalized are the Berola TOD with the Cumberland City Council as well as the simultaneous release of North Strathfield and Homebush precincts with the City of Canada Bay Council.

The Berala Station precinct is planned for 9,200 homes over the next 15 years thanks to residential flat buildings and shoptop housing.

Details on North Strathfield and Homebush, the biggest rezoning area covering 200ha, are due to be revealed by the end of the year.

▲ Cox Architects completed the Urban Design Report for Homebush—this rendering is looking north-west to Sydney Olympic Park.

NSW planning minister Paul Scully said the TOD program was expected to deliver 170,000 homes across 37 stations over the next 15 years.

“Cumberland, Canterbury-Bankstown and City of Canada Bay councils have all worked collaboratively with my department on these planning changes,” Scully said.

“If we’re going to tackle the housing crisis, we need to continue to see this kind of collaboration between local and state governments.

“I congratulate (Canterbury-Bankstown) Mayor Bilal El-Hayek for leading his council through the process of developing comprehensive local housing plans in a relatively short time.

“This is exactly the approach we would like to see from every council—not just the 13 hosting TOD sites—as every level of government must be looking to what it can do to help deliver more homes, more quickly.”