Fairfield City Council has welcomed changes by the NSW Government that would partially restore development rights for residents in Horsley Park impacted by planning restrictions linked to the Western Sydney International (WSI) Airport.
These changes reinstate the permissibility of secondary dwellings for properties located under the 20 ANEC noise corridor, including areas in Horsley Park.
But the Council maintains the changes do not go far enough to protect people's properties and their livelihoods.
In October 2020, the State Government introduced planning controls prohibiting new residential dwellings on subdivided lots, secondary dwellings and dual occupancies on land within the WSI Airport 20 ANEC noise corridor. These restrictions affected approximately 375 properties in Horsley Park and have been a longstanding source of concern for local residents.
Fairfield City Council has consistently maintained that the controls were disproportionate to the actual noise impacts expected to be experienced in Horsley Park and were not imposed consistently with those around other major Australian airports. Council has argued that residents should not be subjected to blanket restrictions that limit reasonable development outcomes without clear, evidence-based justification. It is counter productive to the Government's broader objective of increased housing supply in NSW.
Since the restrictions were introduced, Council has made numerous submissions to government agencies and written to State and Federal MPs advocating for their removal and calling for a fairer, more consistent planning approach.
Mayor of Fairfield City Council Frank Carbone said the announcement was an important, though limited, step forward for affected residents.
"For more than five years, Council has stood with Horsley Park residents who were unfairly restricted from developing their own land," the Mayor said.
"These controls went further than necessary and were never applied consistently around other airports."
Mayor Carbone said Council would continue to advocate for broader changes.
"Allowing secondary dwellings is a positive step, but it doesn't fully address the problem," the Mayor said.
"Residents should also be able to subdivide land and pursue dual occupancies on properties they've owned for decades."
"Planning decisions must be evidence-based, equitable and respectful of established communities."
