The NSW Government will use new planning laws to focus State-owned Housing Corporations on tackling the State’s housing crisis that will prioritise the delivery of social and affordable housing in places where people want to live, closer to jobs and accessible to people who need it most.

The major reforms will provide the NSW Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) and the Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO) with an expanded State Significant Development (SSD) approval pathway for projects with more than 75 homes or more than $30 million capital investment.

In addition, Landcom will have access to the same pathway where any project it develops contains at least 50% affordable housing.

Applications made through the SSD pathway must still meet rigorous checks and balances and the SSD process includes opportunities for councils and communities to input and comment on the housing proposal.

Other reforms include:

Changes to existing self-assessment powers for LAHC and AHO, increasing from 60 dwellings and 2 storeys to 75 dwellings and 3 storeys. Self-approval will mean a faster pathway to the start of construction.
Landcom will have the same self-assessment powers for affordable housing developments of up to 75 dwellings as well as access to a State Significant Development pathway for developments over $30 million where at least 50% is affordable housing.
Reducing the minimum lot size to 400m2 for dual occupancies being delivered as a complying development by LAHC, AHO, Community Housing Providers and Aboriginal Community Housing Providers. This effectively means creating more space for more homes.
Social and affordable housing providers will be exempt from attracting State infrastructure contributions.

Further housing supply reforms are also on the horizon, with this new Government focused on driving more supply through collaboration with all stakeholders.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully says the NSW Government is making better use of planning laws to respond to the housing crisis and get more homes built quickly.

‘These initiatives help with meeting our commitments under the National Housing Accord for new homes.”

Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness Rose Jackson says gone are the days where Government kicks the can down the road as though housing is someone else’s problem to fix.

“The Prime Minister’s announcement on Saturday for $2 billion towards social and affordable housing will fund our work with a cash injection for NSW of more than half a billion dollars,” Jackson says.

“The $610 million investment in social housing will help to immediately accelerate the delivery of more homes for the people of NSW. In the next two weeks we will receive this vital funding to help us rebuild our social housing system and support some of our most vulnerable.”

“We have a shared responsibility to create solutions to tacking our housing crisis. This Federal funding is the boost we need and coupled with the changes to the planning system, will help speed up the delivery of homes,” she says.

Image: https://www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/land-and-housing-corporation

Branko Miletic

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