Land releases on Sydney's fringe spark fears of urban sprawl Fringe land leases: Planners fear ignoring the need for development within established areas can create urban sprawl. The state government's land releases last year were concentrated on Sydney's fringe, prompting warnings from planners that it needs to encourage development in built-up areas or risk urban sprawl. Department of Planning and Infrastructure figures reveal the government rezoned land in greenfield areas to accommodate more than 44,000 homes. This vastly outnumbered those in large-scale rezonings in established suburbs. Will not be drawn on the proportion of new housing in existing suburbs: Planning Minister Brad Hazzard. Photo: Dean Osland Only one of the eight urban activation precincts - areas earmarked for high-rise homes near transport hubs - resulted in rezonings. This cleared the way for up to 3000 homes in 12.5 hectares around North Ryde station. By contrast, the government rezoned greenfield land for 17,350 houses in Austral/Leppington, 3300 in East Leppington and 880 in Catherine Field in March alone. The upper house also derailed plans to speed up redevelopment around the WestConnex motorway, north-west and south-west rail links when it stripped the controversial "code" assessment track from its planning bill in November. Bill Randolph, of the City Futures Research Centre at the University of NSW, said land for more housing was a good thing but focusing on the fringe ducked the "critical question" of how to get better density and land use in Sydney. "This may be just a short term 'let's get the market going' response but they will have to return to that harder thing of rezoning for infill for significant urban renewal pretty quickly," he said. Precincts at Wentworth Point and Epping are expected to be rezoned early this year for 6000 more homes. But at least three others, in Randwick, Maroubra South and Mascot, are on hold after community and council backlash. Planning Minister Brad Hazzard would not be drawn on the proportion of new housing in established areas, saying the government was "not the slightest bit preoccupied by those sorts of percentages." Before the 2011 election, Barry O'Farrell said he would alter Labor's target of 70 per cent within existing suburbs and the rest on the fringe. "It will be closer to 50 than 70 [per cent]," he said then. Mr Hazzard said governments worldwide found it easier to do large-scale rezonings in greenfield areas where there were no established communities but "the housing opportunities we're looking at are everywhere."