The Hills Shire Council released a draft strategy of its intentions for development within the Sydney Metro North West rail corridor where it traverses the Hills Shire Council.
Holmes Dyer reviewed a number of the key research investigations and assumptions as a basis for preparation of a range of recommendations pertaining to increased land use, heights, and density flexibility which sought to capture the value of key transit station environs for the benefit of the wider community.
Key investigations involved:
- Demographic trends and population growth and implications for the demand for housing, type of housing, and non-residential
- Car usage and modal split, including comparisons with other established train station catchments, with consequences for carparking, shuttle bus services, and non-vehicular movement;
- Employment generation and, in particular, the propensity to grow a community in which commuter numbers into the station environs for employment purposes progressed towards a balance with commuters leaving the locality on a daily basis; and
- Community demand for an increased range of services and facilities, including schools, health care, libraries, community centres, open space, and recreational facilities.
