CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
Sydney’s ravenous property developers say they will not let something as trivial as the Blue Mountains prevent them from ensuring that the NSW capital has a metropolitan area three times the size of Tokyo City.
In the last few decades, councils and state government planning bodies have done all that they can to help the tide of urban sprawl turn green space into sweltering commuter suburbs – with little regard for the environmental, health and economic costs.
The city’s dense suburbia extends as far as 65km from the coastline, with thousands of black roofs popping up on what used to be farmland, every week.
In the midst of a housing crisis, there simply is not option but to continue building new suburbs choc full of these 3-bedroom slices of the Australian dream, with less than 90 cm between each block, one lick of paint and no hospitals or schools.
As the inner-city suburbs, with all of their services and public transport, are now inhabited by an entitled asset class who refuse to allow medium density housing in their backyard – there has been no option but to continue forging west. Urbanised town squares and high streets are no longer a reality for the vast majority of the city.
With no trees or waterways, these ’ember suburbs’ often exceed 50 degrees celsius on a summer’s day – almost twice as hot as the coast.
However, in recent months, the unstoppable force of poorly planned urban encroachment has met an immovable object. The Blue Mountains.
A World Heritage region and natural wonder, with foothills starting 80 km west of Sydney CBD – The Blue Mountains is known for its stunning natural beauty and breathtaking scenery.
Developers say these pretentious bush-walks and protected natural ecosystems should not be prioritised over the rights of prospective homeowners who have conceded that they will never live within one hour drive of their workplace and must now pay $1 million for the pleasure of entering the Australian property ponzi scheme at the bottom.
Work is already beginning to develop hilside housing estates, with residential profiteers hoping to reach the three sisters lookout by 2027.
