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3.2 Rouse Hill - A Mixed Use and Transit Oriented Centre
This Precinct Plan will apply the principles of transit-oriented development to future growth in Rouse Hill Strategic Centre and promote a compact and walkable Precinct, which accommodates a mix of uses, all centred around the well-established Town Centre and Rouse Hill Metro Station.
Transit Oriented Development is the concept of maximising the density of development (be it housing, employment, retail, services and leisure) within walking distance of public transport and creating walkable and high-amenity Precincts. The concept of Transit Oriented Development is more relevant in the context of how the broader catchment areas around transport nodes are planned and work together as an agglomeration of land, as opposed to referring to a specific outcome on an individual site in isolation.
Generally, the catchment for Transit Oriented Development is measured based on walkable distance from a transport node, with a focus on land that is within 800 metres (or sometimes 1.2km) from a transport node. This specific distance can vary, often depending on how walkable an area is having regard to factors such as slope and the quality pedestrian connections. However, it generally correlates with how far the average person could walk in 10 - 15 minutes and how far someone will be willing to walk between their origin or destination and a transport node. In short, it is the threshold under which we observe behavioural changes and in particular, a shift to rely on public transport versus private vehicle usage.
Some of the key benefits of Transit Oriented Development are that it:
Reduces car dependence and traffic congestion and encourages the use of public and active transport over private vehicle trips.
Allows for the creation of pedestrian friendly areas with greater emphasis on place-making, amenity and active transport, in comparison to more traditional vehicle dominated areas.
Maximises the efficient use of public transport infrastructure, such as the Sydney Metro Northwest.
Reduces the relative cost of servicing new development with infrastructure able to be provided more efficiently to service growth in a consolidated and compact area, as opposed to a sprawling greenfield area.
Creates active and vibrant areas where local economic activity and investment can be focused with confidence.
Achievement of the long-term vision and objectives for Rouse Hill to continue its evolution into a thriving mixed use Strategic Centre will require a planning framework which allows for a broad mix of retail, commercial, residential and leisure uses to occur in close proximity to each other and within the walkable catchments around the Metro Station. This will help to create engaging and vibrant areas where a diversity of activities and functions can occur and where a viable day, night and weekend economy can exist.
In the context of a mixed use and transit-oriented Precinct, it remains important that certain areas can be designated for specific outcomes. A clear land use framework provides certainty, confidence and viability for the market and landowners to make informed investment and development decisions with the clear knowledge of highest and best use. This will facilitate the achievement of short and long term strategic planning objectives for the Centre and avoid potential land use conflicts and amenity issues. It will also reduce the risks associated with investment decisions spurred by speculation around the permissibility of higher value uses, which can artificially drive up land values to the point where development outcomes are no longer viable. In recent times, it has generally been the case that speculation around the potential for residential outcomes to become permitted on land can artificially inflate land values such that the feasibility of strategically identified urban services or commercial outcomes becomes less viable.
The concept of a mixed use Strategic Centre is not incompatible with also designating specific areas within the centre where residential development will not be permitted, such that these areas can be retained for viable urban services and commercial development. This philosophy is supported within the strategic planning framework, including the Greater Sydney Region Plan, Central City District Plan and Council’s Local Strategic Planning Statement which envisage Rouse Hill as a mixed use Strategic Centre, containing designated commercial areas and low, medium and high density residential development.
Currently, residential development outcomes are permitted on approximately 90% of all land within 1.2km walking distance of the Rouse Hill Metro Station (although some of this is in areas where residential outcomes are complementary to retail outcomes). As the existing zoned capacity for new dwellings in these areas is realised by the market over the next 10-20 years, a significant residential population will reside within 1.2km of the Metro Stations, bringing with it the activity, vibrancy and viability that is the goal for mixed use Precincts. This Plan also identifies further residential growth potential, beyond these currently anticipated outcomes.
In contrast to residential outcomes, which are permitted on most land within the Strategic Centre, only 10% of land within 1.2km walking distance of the Metro Station is designated specifically for employment and urban services outcomes. In the context of significant incoming residential development both within the Centre and the broader region and acknowledging the underlying economic goal of employment growth within the Strategic Centre, it remains important that these scarce areas continue to be retained, and potentially expanded, for commercial and office development outcomes, even if the pace at which the market capitalises on these opportunities is more moderate than has been the experience for residential outcomes over recent decades.
As the demand for health services and knowledge intensive jobs grows, particularly surrounding the future Rouse Hill Hospital, it is important that designated areas of non-residential land remain available for this purpose and to ensure Rouse Hill does not become a “dormitory” centre.
This Plan will set the framework for Rouse Hill’s continued evolution into a thriving mixed use Strategic Centre, building on the recent planning work completed by State Government and Council and the emerging mix and distribution of uses throughout the Centre. It will ensure that the Centre contains adequate and appropriately defined areas of land to facilitate the varied range of urban uses which are expected to be accommodated within the Centre, interspersed throughout the Centre and within close and walkable proximity to each other and the Metro Station. This will deliver a truly mixed use and transit oriented Strategic Centre.
