04 March 2013
The January housing approvals released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates a major boost in apartment approvals in NSW, says the Urban Taskforce.
In January 2009, only 600 apartments were approved while the January 2013 figures indicate over 2000 approvals, says Urban Taskforce CEO, Chris Johnson. NSW is clearly leading the country in the approval of apartments as these become a preferred housing type for many people.
The national approvals for all housing were flat as were approvals for the detached housing in NSW. NSW Government needs to ensure that planning rules help the apartment market particularly in inner city areas of Sydney. We are hopeful the White Paper and the Metropolitan Strategy, due out soon, will help with planning approvals for apartment buildings particularly in Urban Activation Precincts.
