NSW LAUNCHES FIRST EVER HOUSING STRATEGY

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward MP has today announced that the NSW Government has released its first ever housing strategy for our State, outlining a 20-year vision for better housing across our region and New South Wales.

Mr Ward said that the Housing 2041 strategy and an initial two-year action plan will deliver improved outcomes immediately and into the future by focusing on housing supply, diversity, affordability and resilience.

“This Strategy will allow us to better plan and deliver housing that meet the needs of people across our region now and over the next 20 years,” he said.

“We have listened to stakeholders who have told us about the importance of housing that people can afford, that is sustainable and that meet the needs of households as they age.

“New and innovative housing will be delivered when and where it is needed, supported by sustainable technologies that can help reduce living costs,” Mr Ward said.

The Housing 2041 includes a strong focus on supporting regional NSW on the back of recent crises that have ravaged NSW including COVID-19, bushfires and floods.

The Strategy and inaugural two-year action plan features initiatives to support better housing outcomes including:

• Better access to data, including the launch of the Government Property Index (GPI) – an online interactive mapping tool that will increase transparency of the State’s property portfolio and encourage private investment on public land;
• Establishing a cross-sector Expert Housing Advisory Panel to guide delivery of Housing 2041 and increase collaboration across Government and the housing sector;
• Better use of government-owned land and information to develop new housing types, tenures and delivery models;
• Strengthening relationships with local governments, the community housing sector and developers to trial new innovative housing solutions; and
• A Temporary Supportive Accommodation (TSA) pilot with Wollongong Council that seeks to use vacant land and buildings to deliver a safe home for those who need it.

Housing 2041 was informed by sector-wide consultations and community feedback following the launch of a Discussion Paper in June 2020.

The ‘Housing 2041: NSW Housing Strategy’ and ‘2021-22 Action Plan’ can be downloaded here: https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Policy-and-Legislation/Housing/A-Housing-Strategy-for-NSW.