Regional Housing Taskforce Recommendations Released

Yesterday the NSW Government released the Regional Housing Taskforce Recommendations Report. The independent report provides recommendations for how the planning system can address housing supply and affordability in regional communities.

The report outlines five broad recommendations, and 15 targeted interventions, for the NSW Government to consider:

  1. Support measures to bring forward a supply of ‘development-ready’ land;

  2. Increase the availability of affordable and diverse housing;

  3. Provide more certainty about where, when and what types of homes will be built;

  4. Investigate planning levers to facilitate the delivery of housing that meet short-term needs; and

  5. Improve monitoring of housing and policy outcomes and demand indicators.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole commented ‘The report gives the NSW Government clear recommendations to consider how we can use the levers within the planning system to fast-track supply of shovel-ready land and deliver more homes for families across regional parts of the State.’

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the Government will provide a response later this year. ‘The recommendations confirm there is no silver bullet solution and we must work in partnership with industry and local councils to create more housing opportunities.’

Regional Housing Taskforce Chair, Gary Feilding, stated ‘Safe, secure and affordable housing is critical to the wellbeing of individuals and local communities, and to the broader prosperity of New South Wales...It is now for the NSW Government to act decisively on these recommendations and to work with all levels of government, the private and not-for-profit housing sector, and regional communities, whose willingness to work collaboratively to address these important issues was so evident throughout our engagement.’

Sophie Uden