One year into Premier Berejiklian’s time as Premier, the NSW Government must continue to embrace progress and implement reforms to improve housing affordability in NSW, according to the Property Council of Australia.
“The Berejiklian Government has made good headway creating and consulting on policies and plans to boost housing supply, but we need decisions made and reforms implemented to give industry and the community certainty,” Property Council NSW Acting Executive Director Cheryl Thomas said today.
“Currently, 66 plans or policies are under consideration on the Department of Planning and Environment’s website, we need decisions made on these and action taken to improve housing affordability.”
Many of these policies are critical to delivering Premier Berejiklian’s housing affordability package announced in June 2017.
“Good ideas, like the introduction of a Medium Density Housing Code to fast track low impact housing, were proposed and exhibited over 12 months ago, with decisions still pending,” Ms Thomas said.
“Similarly, the exhibition period for the 2016 review of the Sydney Olympic Park Master Plan ended in November 2016; industry and the community has been waiting too long for this to be finalised.
“Decisions about the future shape of our city and neighbourhoods should not be made lightly, but ultimately decisions do have to be made so that announcements are translated into action. The longer decisions are delayed, outcomes, like improving housing affordability, are not achieved,” Ms Thomas said.
“NSW is in excellent economic shape, with record infrastructure spending and strong jobs growth. A year into her Premiership, we urge Premier Berejiklian to make 2018 a year of decisions, so in 12 months’ time, we can be toasting outcomes, not plans.
“The Property Council looks forward to continuing to work with on the design and implementation of planning policy and further strengthening our State’s economic position.”
