The NSW government is releasing almost 62,000sqm of bushland in Belrose to help ease the state’s housing crisis – including a long parcel of land one Northern Beaches councillor refers to as “the giant schlong of Belrose”.
However, environmental protections mean a maximum of 24 homes can be built across the three sites.
The sites at 5 and 6 Elm Avenue and 106 Pringle Avenue are part of the Belrose Corridor, a strip of bushland governed by strict biodiversity rules designed to protect wildlife movement to and from Garigal National Park.
Therefore, only 16,940sqm can be used for housing development, with the remained to be kept as vegetation, public open space and a native wildlife eco-corridor.
Shortly after the government’s land release announcement, Cr Jody Williams, a Northern Beaches Councillor for the Frenchs Forest Ward, flagged concerns around the impact the development would have on the Corridor.
Council was not notified of the plans to sell off the land.
“I have asked what can be done to maintain a land bridge for the native wildlife between the Garigal National Park and the remnant forest on the other side of Pringle avenue. It gets worse, you put it all together: the giant schlong of Belrose!”
The release of land comes as part of the NSW government’s Building Homes for NSW program, where the aim is to build 30,000 homes across NSW to mitigate the state’s housing shortage. In this latest land release announced in February 2026, the government identified nine sites across NSW to build 180 homes. The three Belrose sites are part of this.
“All sites have been deemed surplus to requirement by the NSW Government,” a spokesperson for the Minister for Lands and Property told Manly Observer.
“Instead of sitting on the government books unused, these sites will be activated to help deliver the homes families across our state need.”
The breakdown
5 Elm Avenue, Belrose: 16,350sqm of two lots zoned R2 – Low Density Residential and C3 – Environmental Management. Developable area is limited to 7,140sqm with a maximum of 11 dwellings.
6 Elm Avenue, Belrose: 8,939sqm of one lot zoned R2 – Low Density Residential, C3 – Environmental Management, and RE1 – Public Recreation. Developable area is limited to 3,466sqm with a maximum of five dwellings.
106 Pringle Avenue, Belrose: 35,860sqm of six lots zoned R2 – Low Density Residential, C3 – Environmental Management, and RE1 – Public Recreation. Developable area is limited to 6,334sqm with a maximum of eight dwellings.
How does land get picked for housing?
The Office of Strategic Lands, which buys land and passes it on to local councils or other government agencies when needed (for things like roads and rail lines, parks or housing developments), owned the three sites. Manly Observer has been shown old plans for an express road which seems to have never eventuated.
As part of the Building Homes for NSW program, the government conducts a land audit to identify vacant government assets that would be better used for residential housing. Once the sites are identified, the land audit team conducts assessments to determine if the land can be used for housing.
Landcom (the government housing development agency) and Homes NSW (which provides social housing) receive priority for the development of the sites. At this stage, the three sites in Belrose are being assessed by Landcom. Should the two organisations deem the sites not fit for their businesses, the sites will be sold to private developers.
Northern Beaches Council was not consulted as part of the process and is currently reviewing the planning implications of the announced sale of the land.
