About 70% of the hills' land area lies within the MRA, while the remaining 30% spans urban areas of varying densities and characters. The aim of this strategy is to clearly lay the foundation for strategic planning of the residential component of the Shire's urban areas through 2036.
A review of the strategic planning framework provided by the national and local strategies shows that the Shire will play an important role in making places for people, developing accessible and walkable neighborhoods and contributing to housing supply.
Demographic Overview
This growth has caused areas of the Shire, once dominated by farms, orchards and bushland, to become more urbanised, with the greatest change occurring since the 1980s as a result of urban renewal programmes. A review of demographic data, including trends or changes over time, was conducted to understand the likely housing needs of the future population.
Housing Demand, Trends and Diversity
This equates to 35% of all rented households in The Hills Shire, or 7% of our total households. Station areas may present the best opportunity to provide additional affordable housing in The Hills.
Housing Supply, Trends and Diversity
The Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) has released updated information on expected wait times for general purpose public housing. Allocation zone Parramatta/Baulkham Hills, where there were 2,025 general applications and 125 priority applications as of June 30, 2018 (Ref: FACS).
Land Use Opportunities and Constraints
Analysis of the Evidence Base
Housing Supply Gaps
However, this clause will only apply to certain land within the Sydney Metro Northwest Station Precincts and may need to be extended to ensure a greater proportion of development is captured.
Areas with Development Capacity
It should be noted that not all land in the station area is intended for the expected housing development. The Council has previously identified areas of environmental, heritage or scenic interest using various methods in the local environmental plan and development control plan.
Plan for housing supply to support Sydney’s growing population
This is partly due to the way these developments are financed, which leaves it more exposed to economic peaks and troughs. In 2015, the state government introduced changes to the state policy, which included the introduction of maximum as well as minimum housing densities.
Facilitate housing in the right locations
The Hills has four (4) release areas in various stages of completion, with North Kellyville and Balmoral Road nearing completion in the next 10 to 20 years, to Box Hill and Box Hill North, which are only in the early stages of development revenue . Between Box Hill and Box Hill north there are a number of contiguous properties currently zoned as a RU6 transition.
Deliver a diversity of housing
Recognizing an increased demand for housing for seniors and people with a disability, as demonstrated in the Evidence Section of this Strategy, it is essential that these developments are located close to services and transport options (both active and public) to ensure that ' an improved quality of life for these residents and prevents isolation. Support housing for seniors and people with a disability in accordance with the requirements listed in the Housing Strategy 2019.
Renew and create great places
An audit of the Hills Development Control Plan should be conducted to determine where Council has capacity to assist in reducing ongoing operational costs. Make changes to the Hills Development Control Plan to help reduce ongoing household operating costs.
Provide services and social infrastructure to meet residents’ needs
Whereas the proportion of The Hills population in the 0-4 age group (6.2%) was slightly lower than the proportion for the Greater Sydney region (6.4%). Apart from the TAFE premises at Castle Hill and Baulkham Hills, there is no higher education in The Hills.
Land Use Planning Mechanisms
As population growth places further demand on the Council's existing facilities, a study has been launched to identify future cemetery sites. Secure provision of services and social infrastructure keeps pace with population growth and meets the needs of existing and future residents.
Implementation and Delivery
Stakeholders
Planning Instrument
Monitoring and Review
Appendices
Planning Policy & Context
State Policy
Together with the Region Plan strategies, these priorities provide the framework for housing provision for the Hills Shire. The Corridor Strategy was a preliminary document and was considered the first stage in the area planning process for the rail corridor.
Local Policy
The Corridor Strategy articulates Council's response to land use development for seven (7) Sydney Metro North West station areas within and adjacent to the Shire. The Corridor Strategy is underpinned by six (6) guiding principles that reflect the Council's approach to growth.
Demographic Data
Median household income in The Hills is rising for household, family and personal income. Between 2011 and 2016, the number of residents in rental stress increased, with approximately 19% of all tenants in The Hills in rental stress.
This document represents the collaboration of information from a number of sources, including Government plans and policies and The Hills Shire Council plans and policies. Reproduction of this document for any other purpose will only be permitted with the written permission of The Hills Shire Council.
THE HILLS SHIRE
The Hills Shire is a Local Government Area in the Greater Sydney Metropolitan Area and forms part of the Central City District, along with the Blacktown, Cumberland and Parramatta Localities.
Contents
Executive Summary
Almost half of the potential jobs will be on undeveloped land already zoned for employment purposes in the Box Hill Business Park and Annangrove Employment Area. This will be supported by the development of a Public Domain strategy which will inform a coherent set of public domain elements to ensure the centers have a sense of place and identity.
1 Introduction
Purpose of the Strategy
Developing the Strategy
Research on global and regional trends affecting the demand and use of employment land and centers; Analysis of sales areas to identify retail demand and to confirm the hierarchy and typology of centers (to be completed while the draft strategy is on view).
2 Demographic Overview
Trends influencing Employment Lands
As technology continues to improve, there has been an increase in the mobility of industries and workers who can generally settle anywhere. Marketplace-style companies such as Amazon, Uber, Air BnB and global brands such as Zara, H&M and Uniqlo are offering merchandise at the same time as in the northern hemisphere, forcing retailers here to rethink their business models and operations.
Characteristics of Local Workers
Characteristics of Resident Workers
The largest proportion of Hills residents are employed in technical and high-skilled industries, including professional and technical services, finance, health care, and education.
Job Containment and Self-Sufficiency
In order to improve employment self-sufficiency, Hills residents currently working outside the area must have the same or better employment opportunities available to them locally. There is currently a gap between the types of jobs our residents are customizing for our residents and the types of jobs available in the Shiro.
Loss of Young Resident Workers
This shows that the jobs that exist for this age group in The Hills are not the jobs that the equivalent resident age group is looking for, and also, that the jobs that they are looking for do not exist here. It is important to consider what jobs are required to meet the needs of the younger workers expected to occupy the growing number of apartments being built in The Hills.
Work Locations
Understanding where our residents choose to work and where our workers choose to live helps determine the types and locations of jobs we need in the future. The quest to match the jobs available in the Shire with the skilled resident workforce is a complex one.
Expected Population Growth
The types of high-skilled and technical jobs available in these locations are consistent with the education levels seen in our population (See Figure 8). The majority of residential growth by 2036 is expected to occur in higher density station areas linked to Sydney's North West Metro and areas of new releases within the North West Growth Zone.
3 Our Employment Capacity
Key Challenges
Competitive Strengths
Employment Demand
Employment Lands Supply
There are approximately 775 hectares of land specifically zoned for work purposes in the Hills, whether for business or industrial purposes. In addition, the general residential zoning has also been used to facilitate office and commercial opportunities in certain centres, including Castle Hill Strategic Centre, Baulkham Hills Town Centre, and the Showground and Kellyville Station Precincts.
Employment Lands Capacity
Dispersed Employment Opportunities
The Shire's rural landscape and proximity to the Hawkesbury River provide opportunities to further develop tourism in the rural area, such as caravan parks, campsites and water-based recreation. Given its natural setting, historical significance and easy access from Sydney, the rural center of Wisemans Ferry in the Shire's north offers a good opportunity to attract visitors to the region.
Providing sufficient jobs, targeted to the skills of our workforce
Within the Shire there are 8,157 jobs in this sector of which 2,635 are filled by residents. Many of the local jobs in these industrial sectors (approximately 48% of professional, scientific and technical services jobs and 60% of financial and insurance service jobs) are concentrated in the Norwest Strategic Centre.
4 Our Strategic Centres
Job Targets
These targets identify the following additional jobs that will need to be located in strategic centers by 2036.
Expected Job Growth to 2036
As can be seen, the Council is well placed to deliver significant job growth in Norwest, but more is needed to ensure employment targets for Castle Hill and Rouse Hill are met and that the centers can fulfill their role and retain their designated status of important strategic centers . . In addition to these factors, our strategic centers will benefit from a specific focus on:- providing the right planning framework, improving lifestyle factors to attract businesses and workers and helping to grow local business.
Planning Framework
The inclusion of titled residential development layers significantly increases the complexity of commercial land ownership and management and may impede the scale and type of commercial investment required for employment land to achieve its intended role and function. The development of high-density residential development at the expense of commercial floor space limits the viability and potential of the commercial cores needed for centers to maintain their attractiveness as a prestigious destination capable of supporting businesses.
Enhancing Lifestyle Factors
Beyond entertainment needs, the nighttime economy offers opportunities for after-hours retailing of essential services, including supermarkets, dry cleaning and health care. Creating a safe, vibrant and well-balanced evening and night offer is a challenge, but supporting the night-time economy in strategic centers within The Hills will reflect the changing needs of our residents.
Assisting Local Business Growth
In 2018 it showed that 39% of business owners and managers had used resources or support provided by the Council in the previous six months. Measures to facilitate innovation and access to resources will be further explored in the development of an Economic Growth Plan for the Shire.
Building our strategic centres to realise their potential
The proximity to the public hospital, the access provided by Metro Northwest Sydney, the availability of larger sites and the amenity already evident in the centre, present a timely and unique opportunity to rethink the desired outcomes for the entire Rouse Hill strategic centre. . Partner with Health Infrastructure NSW, Department of Planning and Industry, Blacktown Council and key landowners to develop a Health Zone Strategy for the new Rouse Hill Hospital.
5 Our Retail Capacity
The Hierarchy of Centres
Recreation and entertainment facilities, including restaurants and cafes, bars and/or cinemas that facilitate day and night commerce. Recreational and entertainment facilities, including restaurants, cafes or children's play areas that provide opportunities for planned and casual socializing.
Neighbourhood Centres
Fewer leisure facilities are usually limited to small-scale cafes due to the floor area of the centre. Higher order towns may also include retail that meets daily needs with a small-scale supermarket or small-scale cafes.
Specialised Retail Cluster
Retail Supply and Demand
The work provided a starting point for establishing benchmarks to assess the expected demand for retail floor space in the Shire to 2036 (See Appendix 3 for more information on the rationale for the benchmarks). With an expected additional population of 128,000 people over the next 20 years, The Hills will require at least 335,000 m2 of new retail space to meet retail demand expectations.
Retail Capacity
By 2036, there is likely to be unsatisfied demand for department store, supermarket floor space and specialty stores. This center has a retail floor area of approximately 2,000 m2 which includes a range of specialty shops and some commercial floor space.
Providing services to meet residents’ needs
To meet future demand for specialty retail floor space, these uses should be clustered with existing locations and site requirements for these uses should be considered to support them and be located near centers. Facilitate the development of specialty retail (bulk commodities) only within larger centers and specific districts, depending on the location criteria included in this strategy.
Enhancing the Function of Centres
This southern part of the center has been identified by the Master Planning Council to facilitate redevelopment and revitalization of this centre. Neighborhood centers are an important part of the overall hierarchy of centers in the Shire.
Renewing and creating great places
This new definition offers the possibility to review the allowed use to ensure that the allowed use fits the goal of small scale of community centres. Testing permissible functions in zone B1 Neighborhood center fits in with the small-scale objective of neighborhood centers.
6 Industrial & Urban Services
Contain and manage: All existing industrial and urban service land should be protected from competitive pressures, especially residential and mixed-use areas. This document takes a conservative approach to land management and discourages conversion of industrial and urban land for services.
Industrial and Urban Services Demand
The Hills undertook a review of industrial and employment activities in the preparation of this Strategy, including land area, gross value added, number of jobs. A copy of this review will be available on Council's website www.thehills.nsw.gov.au.
Supply and Future Capacity
Protecting Industrial and Urban Services Land
Enhancing Industrial and Urban Services Land
Retaining & managing valuable industrial and urban services land
7 Implementation, Monitoring and Review
Key Employment Facts & Figures
Improving Transport Connections
There is now an opportunity to consider the grade separation and how it could potentially work with the delivery of the aforementioned 'city-shaping corridor'. As the performance of the transport network is expected to deteriorate further with the growth of the borough, it is crucial that the option of grade separation is not rejected.
Benchmarking Retail Need
Household income is a strong determinant variable in retail demand and the Hills community has a high median weekly household income, with 32.8% of households earning more than $3,000 per week compared to 21.2% in Greater Sydney . The Hills Shire Council disclaims all liability in respect of the consequences of anything done or omitted to do based on any part of this document.
DRAFT
3 - Planned Provision of Playing Fields by Code 4 - Existing Passive Open Space - Hierarchy 5 - Planned Passive Open Space - Hierarchy 6 - Existing Active Open Space - Hierarchy 7 - Planned Active Open Space - Hierarchy. Overall, land in the rural north of the Shire, which represents a significant part of the LGA, will remain unchanged.
Forecasting population growth and projecting future demand for passive and active open space; and. Identifying opportunities to provide new and upgraded open spaces to meet demand from expected population growth.
The Hills Shire Open Space & Recreation
Provision of Open Space – Challenges
Benchmarking, Hierarchy, Levels of Service and Function
Open space serving a large part of the Shire or region, such as Castle Hill exhibition. Open spaces reserved or provided for the protection of European or indigenous cultural heritage.
Supply - Current Provision of Open Space
An overview of the total number of open space facilities within the Shire (both urban and rural) is included in the following table. With the exception of the shortage within West Pennant Hills, the existing and planned provision and distribution of open spaces is reasonable.
Demand for Open Space
The focus of passive open space planning will be to ensure increased demand due to additional population in the growth areas. Within the Box Hill and North Kellyville Release Areas, the existing planned provision of passive open space will be sufficient to meet the additional demand generated by the future population.
Providing services and social infrastructure to meet residents’ needs
The level of decoration of the following parks is proposed to increase from local park to suburban park standard. Supporting the Hierarchy is a Standard Service Levels table that articulates the expected characteristics/quality of each type of open space within the Hierarchy.
Synthetic Playing Fields
