Epping has always been a pleasant pocket of Sydney. Even today, much of that character lingers in fragrant, tree-lined parades. Tranquil parks. Rows of cottages and Victorian-era homes with generous verandas that recall a simpler time.
A diverse, migrant population has moved in since I used to catch the train through here as a schoolboy in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, the area is a mix of established residents, educated professionals and growing young people. Parents are ambitious for their children. But most of all they just want a nice place to live.
Of course, change was always inevitable. The Metro that opened in 2019 cemented Epping’s status as a major transport junction. However, the State Government’s rezoning of Epping as an “Urban Activation Precinct” in 2014 was definitely the point of no return.
Tall unedifying unit blocks now gang up on the railway line that divides the town centre in half. Particularly apocalyptic are the three half-finished “Langston Towers” of 19, 24 and 29 storeys, which loom over invariably congested Epping Bridge.
To make matters worse, prime government land is being sold to create another 442 apartments.
The tragedy is that Epping was once home to big employers like Unilever, the Department of Family and Community Services and Westpac. But now, apartments have gobbled up Epping’s commercial footprint. The town centre is largely deserted during the day, as residents stay home or leave for jobs elsewhere.
At its February 8 meeting, the City of Parramatta voted to try and change this situation. In a well-reasoned submission, Epping Ward councillor Bill Tyrrell acknowledged that action was necessary “to address the mistakes of the past, not by council but by the State Government”.
But he and the council majority have chosen a Faustian bargain: mandating two floors of commercial space in new developments in return for raising maximum building heights from as low as 48 metres to 80 or 90 metres (28 storeys) in different parts of central Epping.
The tallest of the Langston Towers won’t just be an anomaly; it will become the norm.
The bid by fellow Epping Ward councillor Donna Davis to reverse the decision – mandating more commercial space in buildings without raising height limits – reflects community feeling that the pendulum towards developers has swung too far.
But the wider issue remains: what is the future for places like Epping all over Sydney? A vision that reimagines Sydney as three “30-minute cities” from the harbour to Parramatta to the western aerotropolis sounds catchy. However, what about all the places in between where people actually live? Smaller centres like Epping, Carlingford, Northmead and Wentworthville shouldn’t just be targets for soulless residential towers with a smattering of ground-level retail.
They should also be communities where people meet, shop, study and spend time. Providing accountants, lawyers, architects and public servants with either a place of employment or co-working space to dock.
So let’s not give developers free rein anymore to create gazillion-storey units. Let’s enforce commercial space requirements to support jobs and vibrant communities.
Epping offers a cautionary tale that towers are not enough. A strong daytime office worker presence is necessary to keep shops in business and restore pride to a suburb whose lovely pockets are being let down by a tattered centre of town.
Alan is a journalist and communications specialist. He writes a weekly column for Parra News.