The NSW Government recently set The Hills Shire a new housing target of 23,300 additional dwelling completions over the next five years. This is more than double Council's previous five-yearly dwelling target.
With the increase in population comes the need for new or expanded residential areas, like the new release areas in Box Hill and North Kellyville.
Building a new residential area occurs in several stages and involves approval and funding processes with various stakeholders such as the NSW Government, Transport for NSW and developers.
Preparing a Contributions Plan and Collecting Funds
A Contributions Plan is a document that Council uses to outline the essential infrastructure needed for a new community, including parks, sportsgrounds, drainage, and roads. Under these plans, developers are required to contribute funding towards this infrastructure.
It would be ideal for Council to have access to all necessary funds to complete all necessary infrastructure upfront and before development occurs within an area. However, the reality of the infrastructure funding system in NSW is that councils are only able to collect these funds in small amounts over time, as each individual development occurs. As a result, this often creates a lag between the development occurring and the associated infrastructure, such a building parks and upgrading roads.
Regional infrastructure such as major roads, schools, hospitals, metros and motorways are managed, funded, and delivered by the NSW Government.
Land Acquisition
Once sufficient funds have been collected; to build any new infrastructure such as a sportsground or to upgrade a road, Council first needs to own the land. Acquiring the land needed for infrastructure within a new release area can be challenging, particularly when it involves many individual landowners who might not be ready to sell. Once the necessary land has been acquired by Council, new facilities can then only be built once the necessary developer contributions have been received and approvals from respective NSW Government agencies have been received.
Roads
In any new community, it is the responsibility of the NSW Government to manage the rollout of utility services such as water, sewerage and electricity. The NSW Government is also responsible for funding and delivering major road upgrades to the regional road network. The rollout of smaller local roads is typically the responsibility of developers to deliver as development occurs. Council is responsible for delivering upgrades to major local roads when it's not possible for an individual developer to complete the works, as well as key intersection improvements on the local road network such as roundabouts and traffic signals. The cost of roundabouts and traffic signals, along with the cost of acquiring land to facilitate them, are included within the applicable contributions plan. For traffic signals, Council requires approval from the NSW Government before commencing any works.
To complete a road upgrade, Council needs to collect the necessary funds from developers, acquire the required land, undertake detailed survey and design and obtain the necessary approvals from NSW Government agencies. This can take some time to complete. For busier roads the process can take even longer because more approvals are required from state agencies, existing services may need to be relocated (which adds considerable time and cost), and collaboration with adjoining councils may also be required.
Sportsgrounds, Parks and Reserves
Our Recreation Strategy informs Council's planning for open spaces, such as sportsgrounds, reserves and parks in The Hills Shire.
The Recreation Strategy aims for:
- Most households to be able to walk to a local park within 400 metres of their home
- one playing field per 2,000 people in low-density areas and
- one playing field per 4,000 people in high-density areas.
The location of a sportsground, reserve, or park is determined by many factors, including the nature and scale of development, the likely number of people that will use it, and pre-existing facilities within the surrounding areas.
Open spaces are classified into four categories:
- Ancillary: Open spaces consisting of a single playing field that are sometimes smaller than a full-sized playing field, such as Ellerman Park, Dural.
- Local: Open spaces that usually include two full-sized playing fields (occasionally they include three or four playing fields) and infrastructure such as toilets, floodlights, and a car park. An example of a local facility is George Thornton Reserve, West Pennant Hills.
- District: Open spaces that cater for a minimum of four full-sized playing fields. They include more infrastructure, such as larger amenities and multi-purpose courts that can be used for tennis, netball, or basketball. District facilities are generally suitable for grassroots local and representative sport and passive recreation. An example of a district facility is Bernie Mullane Sports Complex, Kellyville.
- Regional: Open spaces that cater to multiple sports and recreation opportunities and serve the entire Shire and visitors. They can be used for local, representative, state, and national sports. These facilities are located close to public transport and also include additional recreational opportunities. An example of a regional facility is Fred Caterson Reserve, Castle Hill.
Council identifies a primary function for open spaces to ensure a range of recreational experiences are available in each area. Many functions overlap, or there are a range of functions in one space. These functions include:
- Passive recreation: Opportunities to be outdoors in a safe and aesthetically pleasing space that can be used for play, social gatherings, informal games, sports activities, and exercise.
- Active sports area: Spaces designed to support individual and team sports training and competition.
- Bushland/conservation: Open spaces reserved or provided for the protection of flora and fauna. They may include existing bushland, grassland, wetlands, and waterways.
- Waterways: Public areas that often serve as a place to manage stormwater and provide open space such as dams, basins, rivers, creeks, rain gardens, and wetlands.
- Conservation and heritage: Open spaces reserved or provided for the protection of cultural heritage.
- Linear and linkages: Footpaths and cycleways that provide connections between streets and spaces, which are not located on a road.
Community Centres and Libraries
The growing population will generate demand for new libraries and community centres. Unfortunately, the NSW Government does not allow for Council to collect developer contributions towards the construction of these facilities. This means that Council is unable to fund these new facilities without alternative funding sources such as general revenue, grants or Voluntary Planning Agreements with developers.
Waterways and Drainage
Waterways form part of The Hills' landscape and can include dams, basins, rivers, creeks, rain gardens, and other wetlands. Many are constructed to manage stormwater, sometimes in open space areas or along drainage corridors next to parklands or providing links to them.
Water management systems in new release areas are different from those in other areas in The Hills. For example, the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure's plan for North Kellyville requires several systems to work together to filter and improve stormwater runoff before it enters creeks and waterways. These systems include detention basins, raingardens, wetlands, biofiltration swales, pollutant traps and rainwater tanks.
The design of water management systems focuses on conserving water.
