‘I like old things’: Why Woollahra residents are digging in for a legal fight over housing
Jessica McSweeney September 4, 2025
The federal Liberal Party’s loudest pro-housing voice says every apartment not built in Sydney harms the younger generation, as Liberal councillors in his own backyard consider a legal challenge against plans for 10,000 new homes in Woollahra and Edgecliff.
Senator Andrew Bragg, who lives in the eastern suburbs, said the NSW government needs to consult the community on plans for major rezoning around the yet-to-be-built Woollahra train station and Edgecliff, but ultimately the Liberals were open to the proposal that has become the latest flashpoint in the city’s housing debate.
The idea that you can have depopulation of a particular area of Sydney is outrageous, I think it’s wrong. Every area has to carry its fair share,” he said.
Since 2019, Woollahra council area’s population has declined by 1717 people, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures. The state-led rezoning would allow for higher-density housing about 400 metres around Edgecliff station and 800 metres around Woollahra station – subject to consultation with the community and council.
“Every time an apartment block is vetoed in Sydney it’s a disaster for younger people … it’s not always easy, but I think people are looking for leadership on this and this is an area where the Liberal Party needs to have a very clear position that we are in favour of providing the houses that people under the age of 40 can live in.”
Bragg said he was not against the plans for Woollahra but wanted the council and community to be consulted and presented with more information before the rezoning comes into effect.
While the state and federal Liberals may be open to the proposal, Woollahra Council has unanimously voted to obtain advice on possible legal challenges to the state-led rezoning.
The Labor government has made housing affordability a key part of its first term, and has signed up to the National Housing Accord to deliver 377,000 new homes by mid-2029.
Planning Minister Paul Scully said spending ratepayers’ money “on lawyers to stop people moving into your area” would be “ridiculous”, but many residents told the Herald they believed the move would have support.
“I think [ratepayers] would be supportive of it if they used ratepayer funds because I think there’s a lot of feeling that it’s going to ruin the wonderful openness and feeling of history,” Virginia Rundle said. Her husband, Geoff Rundle, was once mayor of Woollahra and was elected on an anti-development platform.
Fellow Woollahra resident Desiree Dietrich said she was concerned the character of her suburb would be lost if more apartments were built.
“I like old things – antiques and stuff like that. I’m into heritage homes. So it probably is not going to look as good as it does now, but look, there is a housing crisis, isn’t there,” she said.
John Brice, a local finance professional, said he thinks council won’t only have support to use ratepayer funds for a legal challenge: “There’s plenty of people with the cash to be able to fund it themselves … if it was happening to my house, I’d say I’ll put up every legal obstacle I can.”
While many residents were worried about the effect on existing infrastructure and the “feel” of the suburb, plenty of others said they supported more housing in the area.
“I kind of get both sides. I guess when you’ve bought into somewhere, you already know what you’re expecting, and it then gets built up … but at the same time, I feel like there’s kind of just not enough housing at the moment,” 24-year-old publicist and renter Mikeala Pugh said.
Her colleague Alexandra Grant had a message for anti-development locals: “They just need to get over it.”
Liberal Woollahra Mayor Sarah Dixson rejected suggestions by the NSW government that her council was not doing enough to build new housing, pointing to council’s Edgecliff strategy which would cater for 26-storey buildings to be built at the site of the existing Edgecliff Centre.
She invites Scully and other ministers to visit Woollahra to “go on a little excursion so that they can actually breathe it and feel it … not just from an office in Macquarie Street”.
Councillor James Ardouin, a 26-year-old Liberal, wants to be able to buy a home in the eastern suburbs where he grew up. He does not see council’s position as anti-housing, but instead says the community needs to be brought along for any plans to work. He supported the council seeking legal advice.
“Not many members of the community are 100 per cent for or against this, a lot of people just want the information to make an informed decision,” he said.
“As a young person I’m very supportive of any additional housing growth, but it’s how that housing growth is done is the important part here.”
