Planning proposal finalised

Council submitted the Byles Creek Planning Proposal to the State Government Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) in November 2023, following a report to Council regarding the public exhibition of the planning proposal. The submission requested that the planning proposal be made as exhibited.

On Friday, 2 May 2025, DPHI finalised its assessment of the Planning Proposal. As part of that assessment, DPHI determined that the Planning Proposal’s request for the application of C4 Environmental Living zoning with a increased minimum lot size would not been supported and would not be progressed.

DPHI has finalised the remaining elements of the planning proposal related to riparian lands and subdivision lot size objectives, which have now been included in the Hornsby LEP 2013 .

Further information on DPHI’s assessment can be found in the Finalisation Report.

Related draft amendments to the Hornsby Development Control Plan 2013 were also exhibited and adopted by Council at its November meeting. These amendments, where supported by finalisation of the Planning Proposal, will be incorporated in to the Hornsby Development Control Plan 2024 and notified on Council’s website when complete.

Planning proposal endorsed

Council exhibited changes to planning controls in the Hornsby Local Environmental Plan 2013 (Hornsby LEP) to protect the unique environmental, social and aesthetic qualities of the Byles Creek Study Area and to minimise the impacts of residential development on the natural environment. The exhibition was held between 18 August 2023 and 15 September 2023.

The Study Area is located north-east of Beecroft train station and is bound by Azalea Grove and Kurrajong Street to the north, Lane Cove National Park to the east, Malton Road to the south and Sutherland Road to the west.

The changes to planning controls involve the following:

1. Rezoning all R2 low-density residential land within the Study Area to C4 environmental living,
2. Increasing the minimum subdivision lot size for rezoned land within the Study Area from 600sqm to 40ha,
3. Amending subdivision objectives to protect bushland and significant native vegetation, and
4. Mapping the riparian corridor within the Study Area and inserting a new additional local provision that must be considered when developing on riparian land.

Draft amendments to the Hornsby Development Control Plan 2013 were also exhibited to align its controls with the proposed Hornsby LEP changes.