The announcement of a new Housing Supply Expert Panel for South East Queensland provides a good model for New South Wales and particularly for Sydney, says the Urban Taskforce.
“The Queensland Minister for Planning, Cameron Dick, has announced a transparent, independent panel of experts to report on land supply, development and housing affordability in South East Queensland,” says Urban Taskforce CEO, Chris Johnson. “The use of experts from industry brings real market information to managing growth and this is a good model that could be applied to Sydney.”
“The panel will give oversight to annual land supply and development monitoring reports. While Sydney has the NSW Department of Planning’s Housing Monitor this only reports on housing approvals and not on the extent of land supply nor does it reflect industry issues.”
“Currently in Metropolitan Sydney there are a number of Planned Precincts where the NSW Government wants to focus development but feedback from developer members of the Urban Taskforce indicate that many of these precincts are moving slowly in planning terms. Precincts like Anzac Parade, Parramatta Road and St Leonards seem to have become caught in a slow dialogue between local councils and the state government and this is adding significant holding costs to the developers who followed the state government’s lead to develop in what were originally called Priority Precincts.”
“While the term ‘priority’ has been replaced by ‘planned’ for the precincts hopefully this does not mean that there is no urgency to drive plans for the precincts.”
“The Urban Taskforce recommends that the NSW Government establish a Housing Supply Expert Panel based on the South East Queensland model for Sydney. A decade ago the NSW Department of Planning did have a similar panel as part of its Metropolitan Development Program but this was disbanded. Now is the time to involve industry expertise in ensuring there is appropriate land supply for new housing across Sydney.”
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