Housing: NSW plan proposes towers of up to 34 storeys near Edgecliff and Woollahra

The main housing development is a NSW government proposal to rezone parts of Sydney’s eastern suburbs for up to 9,400 new dwellings. The plans are still at the draft stage, with the largest towers proposed around Edgecliff station and a future Woollahra station.

NSW plan proposes towers of up to 34 storeys near Edgecliff and Woollahra

The proposal covers 168 hectares of privately owned land and is intended to add new homes over the next 20 years. About 40 per cent of the dwellings would be located within 200 metres of train stations, according to The Sydney Morning Herald’s report on the eastern suburbs plan.

Buildings around Edgecliff station could reach 34 storeys, while towers of up to 32 storeys are proposed around a future Woollahra station. Heights would reduce towards the edges of the precinct, where buildings would generally range from five to eight storeys.

The plans would rezone areas currently dominated by two-storey homes and low-density unit blocks. Queen Street’s main shopping strip would remain outside the rezoning, although larger buildings are proposed on some sites behind it and nearby, according to residents’ and business owners’ accounts.

The NSW government has presented the proposal as part of a broader effort to increase supply near public transport and avoid placing the responsibility for new construction mainly on Sydney’s western suburbs. The plans are also intended to support accommodation for essential workers, including teachers, nurses, paramedics and police, although the available reporting does not establish how many such workers would ultimately be housed in the precinct.

Why the proposal has triggered opposition

Woollahra Council has described the proposal as a “disaster”, while residents have raised concerns about the effect of high-rise development on the area’s existing village character and heritage streetscapes. Erin Stevenson, a resident and business owner, said the development would not address affordability unless it provided below-market homes for essential workers.

The plan includes an affordable-housing contribution of 3 per cent in perpetuity, or 15 per cent in selected buildings. The opposition supports increased supply but has criticised a proposed charge of $15,000 for each dwelling built within 800 metres of Woollahra station, describing it as a tax on developers.

The government’s announcement referred to 9,400 new homes, while a separate report used the rounded figure of 10,000 in its headline. The more specific figure in the supplied reporting is 9,400 dwellings.

Potential effect on Woollahra’s shops

Local businesses are divided over how the new residents could change the area. Some shop owners said additional residents could bring more customers to Queen Street, where businesses have experienced weaker foot traffic, shop closures and rising rents.

Ribekka Goldy, who works at Pasta Pantry, said the area had seen fewer young customers and that new apartments could restore activity to the shopping strip. Other retailers were less certain. Barista Raysen Tjanersen said a new town centre near Woollahra station, potentially including a supermarket, pharmacy and library, could draw shoppers away from Queen Street.

The proposal therefore presents two unresolved questions: whether the additional dwellings would materially improve affordability, and whether new development would strengthen existing businesses or shift activity to a new commercial centre. Available reporting does not establish how many homes will be approved, when construction would begin, or whether the draft plan will proceed without changes.