ACA responds to NSW Housing Supply Review

Stephen Pearse , 7 October 2024

The NSW Productivity and Equality Commissioner recently delivered a report to the Premier and Treasurer on housing supply challenges and policy options in NSW. In a press release and letter to the Premier, the ACA highlights several areas of concern and offers recommendations to address these issues.

Read the NSW Productivity Commission Report

 

The ACA endorses several recommendations from the Commission’s review, including:

  • Freeing up construction capacity to build more homes quickly.
  • Streamlining the development process.
  • Growing the construction workforce and building industry capacity.
  • Ensuring a diverse and equitable supply of new homes.

However, the ACA highlights several areas of concern and offers recommendations to address these issues:

Balancing Infrastructure and Housing

The ACA recommends a measured rebalancing approach that maintains a consistent level of major civil/transport infrastructure projects while shifting focus to housing. This approach would free up resources for the housing sector while ensuring the continued development of essential infrastructure.

Density and Infrastructure Planning

The ACA calls for a nuanced approach to increasing density, considering both land availability and existing infrastructure capacity. This includes avoiding an exclusive focus on Transit-Oriented Development and ensuring a range of affordable housing models in less expensive areas.

Design Standards and Review Process

The ACA emphasises the importance of maintaining current design standards while improving the efficiency of the design review process. This includes retaining the Apartment Design Guide and streamlining Design Review Panels to work collaboratively with proponents.

Housing Diversity and Innovation

The ACA encourages diverse housing options and innovative living models, including support for co-living apartments and co-located living in residential lots.

Parking and Transportation

The ACA recommends reducing car parking requirements in appropriate areas to lower construction costs and encourage alternative transportation options while ensuring adequate access to public transport for all new housing.

The ACA calls on the Commission to recognise that many skills and expertise are not easily transferred from major infrastructure construction to housing construction and urges careful consideration to ensure the right balance is employed.

ACA NSW Advocacy spokesperson Stephen Pearse stated:

“While we support the Commission’s efforts to address housing supply challenges, we must ensure that progress made in recent years on our cities’ design and construction quality is not compromised. Our goal is to create vibrant, sustainable and liveable communities for all New South Wales residents.”

The ACA will continue engagement with the NSW Productivity Commission on this critical issue and welcomes the opportunity to speak with the media.

For more information, please contact:

Emma Brain
ACA Advocacy Coordinator

This response was prepared by the ACA NSW/ACT Advocacy spokesman Stephen Pearse with editorial assistance by Emma Brain.