The NSW Government has announced that its fast-tracked planning assessment body, the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA), has generated a pipeline of 150,000 potential new dwellings since its inception 18 months ago.
The announcement by the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, confirms that a further 94 proposals have been declared state significant.
This latest round injects more than 22,000 potential new homes into the state significant planning pathway, which aims to address ongoing housing shortages across New South Wales.
The newly declared fast-track proposals are intended to clear a heavy backlog of Expressions of Interest within the HDA pathway, stemming from high industry demand.
The government stated this clearance will assist in maintaining its commitment to evaluating future HDA expressions of interest within a 60-day window.
To date, the HDA has evaluated more than 1,100 industry expressions of interest against published criteria since the authority was established in December 2024. The initiative is now a permanent fixture of the state’s planning framework following legislative reforms passed through Parliament last year.
Progress and projected regional distribution
According to government figures, if all 484 currently declared proposals are formally lodged and approved, the pipeline will yield more than 134,000 homes in Greater Sydney and close to 16,400 homes across regional NSW, encompassing both market and affordable housing categories.
The authority currently has projects declared across close to 50 local government areas.
For agents in these ~50 LGAs with declared HDA projects, this signals increased stock over the next 12–24 months – useful context when discussing market supply with vendors and buyers, and worth flagging when clients ask about future listing opportunities or competition in their area.
At present, actual construction progress from the pathway sits at earlier stages:
- Approvals: 14 HDA projects have received final approval, unlocking more than 2,500 homes.
- Applications: A further 74 development applications have been formally lodged, representing roughly 26,000 potential homes.
The statutory framework governing the HDA imposes strict assessment and delivery deadlines on developers.
Proponents are required to lodge their State Significant Development (SSD) applications within nine months of receiving their Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs).
Additionally, construction must commence within 12 months of receiving a project approval.
Mr Scully said that the mechanism is providing vital relief for the housing sector.
“The Housing Delivery Authority is delivering real results for housing in NSW, creating a pipeline of more than 150,000 potential homes so families, young people and downsizers can find a home sooner.
“I look forward to seeing these HDA projects progress through the planning system to then become the homes NSW needs. The initiative has far exceeded expectations and each of the homes currently in the pipeline demonstrate why we made it a permanent planning pathway.”
“The HDA has been crucial to the Minns Labor Government’s broader plan to increase supply right across the state, helping NSW have more homes under construction than any other state,” he added.
The broader Accord framework and targets
The acceleration program sits alongside broader planning measures, including the NSW Housing Pattern Book and a large-scale rezoning initiative.
Government data indicates these combined reforms have lowered overall assessment times by close to a third, while increasing active approvals by 20% compared to 2023 levels.
Approximately 80,000 homes are currently under construction across the state.
The 150,000-home pipeline forms a core component of the state’s broader obligations under the National Housing Accord.
Under the five-year agreement with the Commonwealth, New South Wales has committed to a target of delivering 377,000 new, well-located homes by 2029.
To meet that overarching target, the state requires an average completion rate of roughly 75,000 new dwellings per year.
Industry analysts and opposition members have previously noted that fulfilling the remaining balance of the 377,000-home goal over the final three years of the Accord will depend heavily on transitioning these initial planning pipeline declarations into finalised, physical completions.