Friday, 21 April 2023
MEDIA RELEASE
Property Council ready to work with NSW Government to bridge housing shortfall
The Property Council of Australia is ready to help the new NSW Government increase housing delivery, following the release of departmental briefing documents which revealed the state is expected to deliver just 36,000 new homes a year for the next five years, when it needs more than 60,000.
Property Council’s Acting NSW Executive Director Anita Hugo said the property sector was ready and willing to work with the new government to tackle the housing supply crisis head on.
“There is no silver bullet to fix the housing crisis, but if we work together, we can begin to make positive changes for the future of our state,” Ms Hugo said.
Ms Hugo said the new government should put the rental and affordability crisis at the centre of their agenda by making housing supply a Premier’s Priority.
“To ensure greater whole-of government coordination, particularly the alignment of infrastructure and utilities decisions with the identification of growth precincts, the NSW Government should elevate housing supply and affordability as a Premier’s Priority,” she said.
“Responsibility for cross government coordination and evaluation should be vested within the newly created Department of Premier, or a similar central coordinating governance body, with the responsible portfolio Minister required to report on progress against minimum housing targets.
“Greater coordination should be backed up by specific housing targets for priority precincts around transport hubs and land-owning government agencies, supported by appropriate state-led planning processes.”
Ms Hugo said at a local level, it was critical that councils are supported with the resources they need to do their job and approve new homes faster.
“The new Government should also seriously consider using incentive-style payments to reward performance against housing completion alongside red carding councils who refuse to embrace the growth agenda of the state,” she said.
“The new government has a range of tools in the kit to get housing supply moving again – it’s time to start delivering.”
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Media contact: Aidan Green | 04910 300 028 | [email protected]