The Rockdale High Density Residential would deliver six to nine storey unit blocks in a landscaped setting.

Recently, I met a real estate agent, Mary to discuss Australia's biggest problem today - housing.

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We are all aware that house prices continue to rise, but our wages and salaries do not come close to matching the increase in house prices.

Consider our parent's generation; they worked hard, bought a home and then built a life. At that time, a typical home cost around three to four times the average income, and mortgage repayments consumed roughly 20 to 25 per cent of household earnings. Today in Sydney, that figure has blown out to 10 to 13 times income, with many new buyers committing 40 to 60 per cent of their earnings just to service a mortgage.

Bank of Mum and Dad

Some younger people may be able to rely on the bank of Mum and Dad, a few may inherit money. The aim of the majority of the younger generation, in terms of their Australian Dream, may be to just get a foot in the real estate door and buy a unit. They are likely to be faced with many interest rate changes during the term of their loan.

In a housing crisis, the initial response is to build more houses A keynote address is to be held at Macquarie University in May 2026 on this subject .

I will quote from my invitation, which came to me as a former student in the Diploma of Urban Studies at Macquarie University, in the early 1980's. The Keynote Address will attempt to explore supply driven planning and reflect how decisions shape our communities, and shared spaces by asking :

a) Where do affordability, sustainability, community and everyday liveability collide?

b) Why has building more houses become the main solution to the housing crisis?

c) How can planning reflect the diversity of how people live, and connect to place, as well as the unique housing barriers that they face today?

My friend and I then agreed, that most policy targets demand incentives, such as the First Home Grants and interest rates. Immigration impacts on demand for housing and it is long overdue that the Federal Government reduced the immigration intake. The proposed capital gains tax and negative gearing changes are attempting to tinker with demand for housing, However if Mums and Dad investors leave the market, then the supply of properties to rent will be reduced. A no-win situation here.

In some countries, private land ownership is restricted or prohibited with land owned by the State, and available on long term leases to foreigners. From April 1 2025 until March 31 2027, foreign investors are banned from purchasing established dwellings in Australia. Foreigners must gain the approval of the Foreign Investment Review Board. They can however invest in new apartments and they are investing in luxury new builds.

In reality, this crackdown has done little to slow down the demand for new luxury housing and according to a 2025 news report, $16 billion has been invested into real estate by investors from China, Hong Kong, India and Vietnam.

The supply measures are usually flawed, as they have in the past relied on density without any proper consideration for urban planning and needed infrastructure. However, communities have now been forced by the Minns NSW Government to provide Master Plans of increased densities.

There has however been no change to our infrastructure to cope with this additional population that will live in these buildings.

Supply can be added to marginally by mixing build to rent, social housing and affordable housing together to create a lively sustainable and diverse communities.

A few councils have decided to develop their own Master Plans. Most, if not all Sydney Councils, on behalf of their residents, would not be happy with the Minn's Government demands.

TODS and LMR are being used to justify development close to railway stations. Many railway stations have heritage properties located near the station, as this was how our early housing estates developed. These properties may not be listed by their respective councils, nor included in Heritage Conservation Zones, but still represent our past. And once they are gone, they are gone forever.

Community members are angry at the loss of our heritage to justify development. Rising construction costs and the current global uncertainty will result in supply not happening quickly. Supply issues are still unresolved. Affordability in housing, the destruction of heritage properties, the loss of streetscapes, which includes the trees, and streets filled with vertical towers will be the Minn's Government legacy.

You were not elected Mr Minns, on a platform of increased densities, with the licence to destroy our urban fabric. There are a lot of angry residents out there.

Anne Field. Former Councillor Rockdale Council and Kogarah Council

Rockdale Master Plan misses the mark

The proposed Rockdale Master Plan may be well-intentioned, but in its current form, large parts of it miss the mark.

While Precincts 1 and 2 reflect sensible urban renewal, Precincts 3 and 4 represent a level of overdevelopment that is difficult to justify.

There is broad agreement that Rockdale's town centre needs upgrading-this has been recognised for years by Bayside Council and its predecessor, Rockdale Council.

Irreversible transformation

However, what is now being proposed goes far beyond renewal-it is a complete and irreversible transformation.

Six to nine-storey developments in these precincts are not a "moderate change."

They will fundamentally alter the character of established neighbourhoods.

These areas sit under a flight path, raising serious concerns about noise, amenity, and overall quality of life for future residents.

The push for this level of density appears to be driven by recent planning policies introduced by the New South Wales Government under Premier Chris Minns, including Transit-Oriented Development and Low and Mid-Rise housing reforms.

But as communities across Sydney begin to understand what these policies actually mean on the ground, many are questioning whether the balance between growth and liveability has been lost.

There are also practical concerns that cannot be ignored. Are we overcompensating on density?

What happens if these developments do not meet demand?

The risk of vacant apartments and underutilised retail spaces is real and should not be overlooked.

Perhaps most concerning is the apparent disregard for local heritage.

The intact workers' cottages along Bryant Street-though not formally heritage-listed-represent an important part of Rockdale's early history.

Potential demolition

Their potential demolition highlights a broader failure of the plan to recognise and integrate the suburb's historical character.

Notably, heritage receives little to no meaningful attention in the proposal.

Good planning is about balance. It should accommodate growth while respecting existing communities, infrastructure limits, and local history. Precincts 3 and 4, as currently proposed, do not achieve that balance.

This plan needs to be revisited-before irreversible decisions are made.

Lack of infrastructure

And how do we account for the lack of infrastructure in our local area ? Is it the cart before the horse - build high rise, and then think about infrastructure later?

Rockdale residents think not. Train capacity is already at premium in peak hour, the Princes Highway is heavily trafficked and parking will be at a huge premium . The list goes on....

And will any of these units ever be affordable?

An April 30 2026, a Daily Telegraph article titled " Rental affordability Snapshot" for Anglicare Australia, paints a stark picture of rental affordability across Australia.

This Rockdale Master Plan, as it currently stands, will result in the destruction of our local urban character for ever, and replace it with so many ugly concrete towers.

No one wants Rockdale to look like this in the years ahead.