Sydney’s $23 billion South-west Metro opened to passengers early Friday, offering relief to tens of thousands of commuters after more than two years of peak-hour travel disruptions. The inaugural service departed Bankstown Station at 4:31 a.m. for Sydenham, marking a significant advancement in the city’s driverless train network. The new Metro line extends along the 66-kilometre M1 North West and Bankstown Line corridors.
Along with the train service launch, refurbished stations at Bankstown, Punchbowl, Wiley Park, Lakemba, Belmore, Campsie, Canterbury, Hurlstone Park, Dulwich Hill, and Marrickville opened to facilitate faster and more convenient journeys from Sydney’s southwest to the central business district.
Separately, the New South Wales government’s “pattern book” initiative, aimed at accelerating housing development by fast-tracking approvals for builders using a list of pre-approved terrace and mid-rise apartment designs, has shown limited progress since its 2023 introduction. More than a year after the pattern book was unveiled by Premier Chris Minns during the Bradfield Oration, only 22 projects have commenced construction across the Sydney metropolitan area, each set to create three or four homes. None of these developments are complete.
Additionally, 18 more projects have received approval, and just over 50 applications are currently lodged for pattern book homes across suburbs from Baulkham Hills to Engadine. The first expected completion is a house in Corrimal, anticipated before the end of 2026.
Planning Minister Paul Scully described the pattern book as an effective mechanism for expediting new family homes and easing housing pressures. However, critics, including Urban Taskforce chief executive Tom Forrest, argue that the scheme has not delivered the anticipated outcomes due to planning and design conflicts. Forrest noted that the pattern book’s prescribed designs do not align well with building codes or apartment design guidelines, limiting its practical application in Sydney’s varied urban landscape.
The government’s vision was to transform Sydney’s housing supply with contemporary designs from international architects, offering streamlined planning approval processes for builders adopting these templates. While initially welcomed by the development industry, the pattern book’s slow uptake and regulatory challenges have tempered early enthusiasm, highlighting ongoing complexities in addressing the city’s housing shortage.