Friday, 01 May 2026

In this Edition...

1. Future Western Sydney Forum unpicks the good, the bad, and the dangerous 

2. Piecing together the infrastructure puzzle - what is to be done?

3. Billions in unspent local infrastructure charges sitting idle in council bank accounts ...

4. OMG! Another report from the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council
5. NSW Heritage Strategy released
6. ‘Privileged’ Mosmanite pulls court case on low to mid rise reforms
7. Council watch
    - Mosman Council clothes NIMBYism in geo-political garb
8. HAFF Round 3 - Expression of Interest (EOI) updates
9. Federal Treasury releases interim report on NCC Modernisation Project
10. Waverley Council releases Bondi Junction Vision and Masterplan
11. Meriton’s Trilogy opening
12. NSW Treasury requirements killing off state led housing projects
13. Lendlease’s unsolicited proposal for Rozelle Bay progresses
14. Inflation genie well and truly out of the bottle
15. Albanese Government to help cut green tape and duplication
16. Canberra digests the Urban Taskforce presentation to the Senate on the nation’s productivity woes
17. Canterbury-Bankstown Council finalises Punchbowl and Wiley Park TODs
18. $3.8 million to fast-track housing in the regions
19. Members in the news

1. Future Western Sydney Forum unpicks the good, the bad, and the dangerous 

Monday’s Telegraph spread

Urban Taskforce sprang out of the blocks early this week and framed a key debate that would unfold in The Daily Telegraph’s Future Western Sydney Forum.

Analysis prepared by Urban Taskforce and shared with the Telegraph showed that:

• a $1.039 million, 3 bedroom apartment in Penrith consisted of  $235,800 in fees,taxes and charges;
• a $1.3 million 3 bedroom house on a greenfield site in Sydney’s southwest was slugged with $401,271 in Government charges; and
• a small $1.144 million unit in Burwood attracted a staggering $404,245 in taxes and other charges.

CEO Tom Forrest called on the Federal Government to step into the breach and allocate more funding towards housing enabling infrastructure for Western Sydney – which would refresh feasibility assessments and engender some confidence in investing in housing in Sydney’s west It would also remove some of the burden now placed on new home buyers to pay for the economic growth of the region.

Urban Taskforce Australia’s analysis was backed by Western Sydney University research, which showed home ownership rates in Western Sydney plummeting. There was the grim prediction that housing affordability will only worsen in the coming years.

Coronation Property told the Telegraph that Western Sydney had switched from being a “golden goose” to a “minefield”. Government charges were either cruelling feasibility, or, if projects did progress –the higher bill was sent straight to the new home buyers, many of which are struggling to break into the property market.

On the day of the Forum, the Prime Minister arrived at the new Western Sydney Airport and stumped up a further $72.5 million in recognition of the Minns Government's planning reform achievements. 

Urban Taskforce has been pushing the Albanese Government to incentivise the States to undertake planning reform and cut red tape. NSW has delivered much in this way, and the Federal funding is reward for all that effort. 

The $67.5 million in federal funding is reward for the Minns Government in undertaking various planning reforms: implementing changes to their commercial planning and zoning rules, including:

• speeding up approval processes by increasing the number ofdevelopments going through the fast-track pathway from 45% to 75%.
• modernising zoning definitions and laws to allow more businesses tooperate without lengthy development approvals - including broadening the number of businesses that can operate in employment zones without needing a permit and expanding the range of businesses that can operate in mixed-use zones.
• expanding operating hours in industrial and other employment zones.
• establishing dedicated authorities to serve as a single point of contact for planning issues and streamlining investment in major proposals.

A further $5 million has been allocated to progress reforms under the National Competition Policy.

While it’s not the billions needed for housing enabling infrastructure, every little bit helps. 

There are signs of hope with the Urban Taskforce message slowly sinking in. The Federal Government's 100,000 Homes for First Home Buyers program is starting to kick some goals, with funding to support thousands of new homes in South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT.

It’s time the NSW Government did a deal with Canberra to ensure we get our fair share too!

But the danger is that all this good work could be undone if the upcoming Federal Budget does not differentiate investment in new housing from investment in existing  housing.

Increasing capital gain taxes on new housing would become a millstone around the Federal Government's neck. 

It is equally critical for the NSW Government to appreciate the terrible impact of their own fees, taxes and charges on housing supply and feasibility.

State Government imposts on new housing have gone up since 2023, not down. It is casting a huge shadow over housing feasibility, particularly in Sydney’s west. The situation is deteriorating as every day passes without any sign of a resolution over the Middle East conflict.

Faced with a housing supply feasibility crisis (which was clearly evident even before the interest rate rises, followed by the war in the Middle East) the NSW Government should provide further relief and remove at least some of the dead hand of Government fees, taxes, charges, and “contributions” from the price of new homes.

As we are wont to say, you don’t tax the baker when there’s a bread shortage. Even the ill-fated Louis XVI of France wasn’t foolish enough to add Government taxes to the price of bread in the years leading up to the French Revolution ^#.

But, with the never ending roll out of affordable housing taxes, local infrastructure charges that often languish council bank accounts (see story 3), a Housing and Productivity Contribution that hits developers when cash flow is at its tightest, and the resurrecting of water infrastructure charges – there appears to be little appetite for the Minns Government to take the burden off new home buyers.

Honourable Treasurer Mookhey – please prove us wrong in your June budget!!!

2. Piecing together the infrastructure puzzle - what is to be done?

Solving the infrastructure question is critical and needs some thinking outside the square. Urban Taskforce CEO Tom Forrest told The Daily Telegraph:

There are a number of major road and metro projects coming to a close and the people of NSW are scratching their heads over the idea that the tunnel boring machines will be scrapped!

The problem that lies at the heart of the matter is one of money.

The former NSW Government benefitted from its policy of “asset recycling”, but the proceeds have been more than spent.

So, what is to be done? Urban Taskforce believes the solution needs the support of all levels of government:

1. the Federal Government needs to step in to assist with big city making infrastructure. It’s time they cashed out their election promises for roads in Western Sydney.
2. the NSW Government needs to open its doors to partnerships with the private sector, so it gets greater value from taxpayer’ funds. Working with the private sector does not equal privatisation.
3. there needs to be an agreed way forward to relax the rules around expenditure of local government infrastructure funds in order to free up the $3.4 billion that councils in Sydney are currently sitting on because of State Government red tape (see following story)!

3. Billions in unspent local infrastructure charges sitting idle in council bank accounts

It sticks in the collective craw of the private sector to see billions of dollars in local infrastructure charges sitting idle in council bank accounts, when they should be unlocked for projects paid for by developers to accompany housing.

According to the NSW Auditor General, as of 30 June 2025, councils across the state were veritable Smaugs^# , sitting on $5.4 billion dollars in unspent infrastructure contributions. 

$3.4 billion of that was sitting in council coffers in Greater Sydney, with the top five treasure hoarders collectively holding $1.4 billion between them in cash and non-cash contributions: 

• Bayside – $351.0 million
• Liverpool – $317.3 million
• The Hills – $283.4 million
• Blacktown – $213.3 million
• Parramatta – $192.6 million

With a massive $351 million in its infrastructure fund,  Bayside Council clearly hasn’t come to terms with the expenditure part of the infrastructure contributions arrangement. 

In FY25, the Council raised $18.6 million in developer contributions, received a further $2.8 million in non-cash land, and earned almost $16 million in interest and investment income on its developer contributions holdings. 

For those counting, that’s almost $37.4 million in developer contributions revenue. 

How much did it spend?  $12.2 million.  A net profit of just over $25.1 million. 

They spend less on local infrastructure than they received in interest from their unspent infrastructure funds!

These accumulations of funds demonstrate either:

• Rank hopelessness from the councils in their infrastructure delivery and project management; or
• The impact of state government red tape which prevents councils from delivering the projects that have been funded by developers (new home buyers) to deliver?

The State Government needs to come up with a solution here to unlock funds and allow everyone to get on with the job of delivering housing and housing related infrastructure. Just because some Auditor General’s report decades ago got obsessed with process, now means that billions are lying in local council accounts while the community and the development sector is crying out for infrastructure.

The NSW Government cannot sit back and allow this situation to continue.

There’s an infrastructure funding crisis in Western Sydney, and there’s a massive pool of funds sitting idle. Surely, it’s worth spending a short amount of time and energy to unlock these critical funds?

The status quo is a really bad deal for everyone. For the broader community, which doesn’t get the infrastructure promised; for new homebuyers, who have been forced to collectively fork out millions with no apparent pay off; and for the property development sector, who have paid millions into council bank accounts that were supposed to fund local infrastructure and community facilities. 

Q. Where do we look to find the council infrastructure war-chests of Sydney?
A. Find Smaug and you’ll be close!

# In J.R.R. Tolkien's novel The Hobbit, Smaug is the massive, red-golden fire-drake who guards the stolen wealth of the Dwarves within the Lonely Mountain of Erebor.

4. OMG! Another report from the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council

After 12 months of “radio silence” the NHSAC in late March cobbled together an array of ABS stats which are already unpacked and assessed by Urban Taskforce month in, month out. Perhaps they should just re-produce our media releases?

While the collective efforts of States and Territories was likely to fail in reaching the National Housing Accord’s  1.2 million new homes target (this figure is likely to be reached by September 2030) , the Council continues to “assess the 1.2 million new well-located homes target as suitable.” (NHSAC 2026, page 64)

There is little other “news” in the document.

Take a look at what this brains-trust on housing supply has come up with:

Well knock us all down with a feather!

If we had not said it so many times ourselves already, perhaps it would not sound like a collection of cliches! Anyway … 

Chapter 1 is largely a bunch of rehashed motherhood (or parenthood) statements about the need for housing and this it should be delivered in a timely manner to meet demand! Wow!

Chapters 2 and 3 are compilation of various stats and reports over the past year.

Chapter 4 again states the bleeding obvious - that there has been a pickup in supply, but the Middle East situation introduces uncertainty. In its defence, the final chapter of first nations housing is insightful, but again something that would have already been addressed by the various Federal and State Government agencies responsible for this area of public policy.

Recent criticism of the NHSAC in this publication, asking: “what do they do?” has obviously cut to the quick, with an entire appendix containing a list of roundtables, summits and lunches attended by members.

Indeed, they also managed to talk to some of the State Planning and housing bodies during the course of the year! We didn’t get a call.

The question remains: Is the taxpayer getting solutions, innovation, productivity or value for money from this body? We really don’t think so.

5. NSW Heritage Strategy released

The NSW Government has released a fairly ‘beige’ Heritage Strategy that commits to a series of actions that the Government claims will not impact housing supply.

It would appear that wise heads have decided that going full throttle on heritage could have a negative impact on the Government’s main priority – housing supply. This is welcome.

But there are aspects that warrant ongoing scrutiny. 

The Strategy is full of well-meaning sentiment and at times is a bit of bureaucratic word salad, but there are some positives, such as the acknowledgement that owners of heritage assets need to be incentivised to maintain these assets – not punished because an item is listed.

How heritage funding is sustainably sourced moving forward is a critical question, but at least the document commits to an investigation into sustainable funding models (Action 3.2)

Encouraging practical ways forward, such as adaptive reuse, is also a strategy reinforced through this document. Action 2.2 commits to streamlining and improving systems to support faster approvals. A good first step – but the devil will be in the detail.

But there remains room for improvement.

Councils can still issue interim heritage orders after the slightest pressure is brought to bear by local NIMBY groups. The failure to stop this means there is risk for anyone looking at taking on ageing assets that could have a heritage order slapped on it by a council seeking to stymie development. For example, North Sydney Council generated attention when it placed a series of workers cottages, just off Military Road, minutes from the Sydney CBD, under an interim heritage order, against the advice of staff, because, in the words of the Mayor, “that has never stopped this council” (November 2025).

Committing to updated guidance for Councils (Action 2.4) is a start – but we eagerly await this guidance over the next term of Government.

Together with the apparent kid-glove treatment of errant NIMBY councils (we regularly name them) over planning reforms – there appears to be a real hands-off approach by the Minns Government when it comes to the third tier of Government.

There are aspects of the Strategy that have already raised concerns.

The proposal to introduce a new Heritage Act could significantly alter the regulatory landscape. Depending on its drafting, it may introduce:

• New heritage listing pathways
• New categories of protection
• New duties on owners
• New approval or referral triggers
• New compliance powers
• Different appeal or review rights
• Broader considerations of intangibles associated with cultural values.

This could create short to long term uncertainty for owners, investors and proponents assessing development sites. 

Urban Taskforce will closely monitor how the Heritage Strategy unfolds.

6. ‘Privileged’ Mosmanite pulls court case on low to mid rise reforms

We thought it would come eventually, but the self-described “privileged” Mosmanite, who took the NSW Government to the Land and Environment Court over the low to mid rise reforms has pulled her court case.

We guess when much of your case rests on arguing when an 800m walk is not an 800 metre walk – the case may have been considered to be on shaky grounds.  

Even some in the NIMBY camp perhaps concluded that arguments around the defence of privilege were not exactly winning over the hearts and minds of the broader public. The antics of the Mosman NIMBYs was probably working against their cause.

Woe to anyone who becomes a caricature…

For someone who was not backward in coming forward in her outrage over a handful of new residents impacting her well-earnt privilege, our Mosmanite has been strangely silent these past few days.

Kudos to the Minister for Planning, Paul Scully, for calling out the well-heeled opportunism:

The poor NSW taxpayer has had to stump up funds to defend State Government policy. No order on costs has been made. 

With Council looking at its own plans and seeking to restrict the areas where the LMR policy applies – there is concern over missed opportunities if the State Government lets council have its way.

As developer Tim Foote of Prosker notes, with a number of LMR proposals already locked in, it is unreasonable to prevent neighbours from capturing the same opportunities. It seems that some locals share this view too.  

The current rules should remain to provide for the orderly development of this well located Sydney suburb.

The NSW Government should be cautious in determining its response to Mosman Council’s LMR alternate proposal. Mosman Council has been been dragged kicking and screaming into accepting more density in their streets.

Every move it now makes must be viewed with considerable suspicion.

7. Council watch

Mosman Council clothes NIMBYism in geo-political garb

The pulling of the NIMBY court case comes as Mosman Council is, surprise, surpise,  opposing the partial sale of HMAS Penguin on Middle Head.

Its submission to a Senate Inquiry into the proposed disposal of defence lands came up with a decidedly geopolitical argument against the partial disposal of the Middle Head site:

This sort of logic would have locked up the current site of the Sydney Opera House on Bennelong Point as the home of that square, castellated stone fortification known as Fort Macquarie (before it became a tram shed) 

But as the Urban Taskforce geopolitical desk commented this week, Mosman Council’s concern was not so much about the defence of the realm, as the defence of the NIMBY fiefdom of Mosman from the scourge of too many outsiders becoming residents.

Interestingly, the Federal Teal MP Zali Steggall, appears to have backed the sale in order to deliver more social and affordable homes.

Conniptions were heard across many of the streets surrounding the HMAS Penguin!

 A tip for Ms Steggall – even when NIMBYs say that they want more social and affordable homes – they do not mean in their suburb!

8. HAFF Round 3 -  Expression of Interest (EOI) updates

As the deadline for EOIs passes, Urban Taskforce members have been keen to get an update on Round 3 of the HAFF:

We can advise that Housing Australia has issued EOI Letters of Outcome for applications across the Housing Diversity and Partnerships at Scale streams representing 14,291 dwellings, with 8,656 dwellings progressing to the Detailed Application Process (DAP) and 5,635 dwellings not progressing beyond the EOI stage.

Housing Australia has elected to implement the jurisdiction control measures outlined in Section 3.6 of the Call for Submissions to ensure a broader distribution of dwellings across all States and Territories.

Consistent with this approach (according to HA) they have brought forward a small number of applications to take further reasonable steps for all jurisdictions to meet the minimum target of at least 1,200 homes in each state and territory in accordance with our Investment Mandate.

Both unsuccessful EOIs and those invited to DAP will receive a letter. Applicants who have not been contacted means that their EOI has not been finalised.

In terms of the two market housing streams:

Housing Diversity (Stream 2) – notional allocations 3,750 dwellings

To date Housing Australia has invited applications representing 3,011 dwellings to submit Detailed Applications.

Partnerships at Scale (Stream 4) – notional allocations 8,000 dwellings

To date Housing Australia has invited applications representing 5,645 dwellings to submit Detailed Applications.

FR3 Financial Model

To assist applicants, Housing Australia has now made available to download via the Housing Australia Portal the following FR3 financial model assets:

1. a bespoke FR3 Portfolio Financial Model for applications that contain more than one project; and
2. a financial model user guide providing instructions and guidance on how to operate and populate the FR3 Finance Model.

Urban Taskforce will keep members apprised of developments.

We understand that it is still the intention of HAFF to have all EOI’s through all streams finalised with funding agreements signed by the end of the financial year, and final funding decisions by the end of 2026.

Urban Taskforce has raised member concerns over the inflationary impact of the war in Iran in the context of fixed price bids submitted in January this year. We understand that government is considering its position on this.

To stay up to date on the HAFF, the CEO Scott Langford provides regular updates here.

9. Federal Treasury releases interim report on NCC Modernisation Project

We have come a long way since 2024 when the current Government was fiercely resisting any critique of the NCC.

The interim report centres around 5 ‘reform directions.’

1. Simplifying access and use. We’re removing barriers to access and rewriting the NCC to make it seamlessly work with new AI tools.
2. Recommitting to a national market, with a plan to remove unnecessary variations in partnership with the states and territories.
3. Tougher, more rigorous cost-benefit analysis and decision making, improving transparency and separating policy and technical decisions.
4. Enabling innovation and new products, by establishing clear and consistent pathways for innovative products
5. Reducing the cost of compliance, by better calibrating compliance requirements with the risk of different building types.

Where to next? The report commits the Government to focussing in on deepening the evidence base, testing potential reform options, and assessing implementation impacts to ensure that changes are practical, proportionate and nationally workable in the five areas identified for further exploration.

Importantly this work will be undertaken in close collaboration with states and territories, industry, regulators, and consumer stakeholders.

P.S. Urban Taskforce noted approvingly that Federal Treasury appears to be leading by example in cutting waste, judging by the similar pastel-coloured, block-art graphics deployed in both this report and the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council’s annual report (see story 4). We are delighted that graphic design has been brought in-house – a win for productivity and the taxpayer!!!

10. Waverley Council releases Bondi Junction Vision and Masterplan

Mayor Will Nemesh continues to be a driving force behind a reformist approach to the once NIMBY-soaked agenda of Waverley Council.

Council has released the latest cut of its draft Bondi Junction Vision and Masterplan 2026, titled “Beyond Bondi”.

A quick glance shows that Waverley has drawn considerable inspiration from Burwood Council’s positive approach to housing and jobs – identifying opportunities within the Bondi Junction CBD for well-located housing density.

Waverley Council, under the leadership of Mayor Nemesh, has taken on the challenge of housing supply. This masterplan is an important step forward in ensuring Bondi Junction captures the opportunities of one of the best located centres in Sydney.

Urban Taskforce will be taking a closer look at the abundant detail contained within the Vision and Masterplan document.

11. Meriton’s Trilogy opening

Notwithstanding significant concern over Meriton’s plans to shift its focus north to apartment-friendly Queensland, Urban Taskforce was proud to attend the opening of a significant Meriton development – the ‘Trilogy’ at Macquarie Park.

Trilogy is one of Australia’s tallest suburban residential developments, boasting never-to-be-built-out views over Lane Cove National Park, the CBD and surrounding district, across three remarkable towers rising to 39, 45 and 59 levels.

The tallest of the 3 buildings is named Rhonda in a tribute to Harry Triguboff’s late wife.

Trilogy is another worthy contribution by Harry Triguboff and Meriton to the ever expanding Sydney skyline.

The Founder of Meriton, with the perspective that only decades in the industry can provide, this week told The Daily Telegraph that Australia’s housing sector was in its worst state “ever”.

12. NSW Treasury requirements killing off state led housing projects

We keep saying that Treasury keeps punching itself in the face – and it keeps proving our point.

State led developments by the likes of Landcom play an important role in keeping the broader housing industry rolling along.

But it appears that the NSW Treasury has been playing a spoiler role that has now forced Landcom to abandon three projects in Sydney’s west that were ripe for housing – Tallawong, Rooty Hill and Austral.

Lying at the heart of the decision was the failure of Landcom and the Office of Strategic Lands to agree on a price.

The Office of Strategic Lands manages the Planning Ministerial Corporation. Landcom reports to the Minister for Planning.

Surely something could be sorted out? Money paid by one entity in the DPHI cluster goes to another entity in the same cluster. At the end of the day, it is taxpayers’ money and there’s a housing supply crisis!

Enter NSW Treasury and its rules that not even a housing supply crisis can shake.

With all the benefits that Landcom has in the NSW Planning framework, it seems paying a “market price” is the rock on which the Government stumbles. Unfortunately, Treasury rules have effectively ruled out any deal.

The community is left bewildered by an arrangement that could have been included in a Yes Minister sketch. Sir Humphrey Appleby would be proud.

The end result though, is that Western Sydney, increasingly a no go area for the private sector, has, at least in the short term, lost three key housing sites.

When Western Sydney struggles to stack up for agencies like Landcom – which baulks at paying the asking price from the OSL – it highlights our point of the challenges faced by the private sector.

No wonder developers are pulling out of Western Sydney!

13. Lendlease’s unsolicited proposal for Rozelle Bay progresses

Some really positive news amidst the doom and gloom this week with the Minns Government announcing that a proposal from Lendlease to redevelop part of the Bays West Precinct in Sydney has progressed to Stage 2 of the NSW Government’s unsolicited proposals process.

The Lendlease proposal seeks to deliver up to 3,000 homes (including a portion of affordable housing) and to return a significant portion of the site into activated public domain.

Progression to Stage 2 allows the NSW Government and Lendlease to work collaboratively to further develop and assess a detailed proposal. This includes exploring issues such as value for money, strategic alignment, risk, planning pathways and how the proposal could integrate with the precinct-wide master planning process.

While no decisions have been made about whether the proposal will proceed beyond Stage Two, this is still a very good sign.

14. Inflation genie well and truly out of the bottle

Confidence in the private sector just slipped back further this week with the ABS reporting that the CPI rose 4.6% in the 12 months to March 2026, up from 3.7% annual inflation to February 2026.

This is the worst annual CPI inflation since 2023.

The genie is well and truly out of the bottle!

No prizes for guessing that fuel/transport was the driver in the spike - the increase in March is the largest monthly increase since the series began in 2017.

Housing still came in relatvely hot at a 4.5% increase over the 12 months to March 26. With prices for just about everything on the way up – watch this space over coming months.

With a cash rate increase all but a certainty when the Reserve Bank meets next week – the real challenge is how the Albanese Government, and to a lesser extent state governments, respond.

Short term fixes like energy and fuel rebates simply won’t cut the mustard - fundamental structural reform of the nation’s economic framework is required.

Looking at the task ahead through the immediate challenges of the housing sector is a good place to start!

15. Albanese Government to help cut green tape and duplication 

The Australian Government has announced a $45 million funding commitment over four years in the 2026 pre-budget pitch to overhaul the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

The funding aims to fast-track new energy, housing, and resources projects across the country by combining federal and state approvals.

These reforms can be traced back to the Productivity Summit last year (remember that???). At least one positive reform has come out of a Canberra talk fest!

While we are on the topic of Federal support for housing, the Federal Government must do “whatever it takes” to get behind the production of new housing.

While the “will they or won’t they” continues around potential changes to capital gains taxation and negative gearing, the Albanese Government must not withdraw incentives to invest in new housing. In fact, more incentives for investors in new housing should be considered.

Using the might of Federal the tax system to stimulate investment and production of new homes should be a key feature for May’s Budget to underscore the aims of the National Housing Accord, and the 1.2 million new home required.

While the States have done most of the heavy lifting, it is time for the Albanese Government to make significant commitments to housing supply and their Housing Accord.

16. Canberra digests the Urban Taskforce presentation to the Senate on the nation’s productivity woes

Capital Brief is read by every mover and shaker in Canberra and its online publication covered last week’s evidence provided by Urban Taskforce CEO Tom Forrest to the Senate Inquiry into productivity.

Highlights included our defence of the necessity of skilled migration:

The restrictive workplace rules driven by CFMEU EBAs driving productivity through the floor:

The article notes our critique of the excesses of militant unionism in the construction sector. The rot introduced by the CFMEU is a key reason why we have seen a 12% FALL in construction sector productivity since 1995, while productivity across the board has risen 49% over the same period.

Something for the decision makers in Canberra to mull over in the lead up to Budget night as they contemplate the decision of the Government appointed National CFMEU Administrator to resign from his role this week.

17. Canterbury-Bankstown Council finalises Punchbowl and Wiley Park TODs

With the Metro set to extend to Bankstown by the end of the year, Canterbury Bankstown Council, in conjunction with the State Government, has finalised its Transport Oriented Development controls for Punchbowl and Wiley Park.

Key features of the precinct plan include:

• revitalisation of Punchbowl and Wiley Park’s main streets
• new and improved public open spaces and pedestrian links
• up to 3 per cent affordable housing for developments of more than 200 sqm
• building heights between 6 and 18 storeys
• floor space ratios between 0.7:11 to 5.5:1

The big question now is will it work?

The State Government seems to be learning the hard way in terms of affordable housing taxes. These controls provide for “up to 3%” – so at least there is some flexibility.

Throughout the whole saga of extending the metro, there was nary a whimper from suburbs west of Hurlstone Park, which suggests there is at least community recognition that transport nodes could accommodate more housing and jobs.

Proof in the pudding will be the response of the market to the new controls. So far little outside the four Ku-ring-gai TOD’s have elicited a serious response from the market.

18. $3.8 million to fast-track housing in the regions

Minister for Planning, Paul Scully, this week announced a further $3.8 million to accelerate housing in the regions. With councils co-contributing $1.1 million, this brings the funding pool to almost $5 million.

This funding has been allocated through the Regional Housing Strategic Planning fund. The objectives of the Fund are to:

• Enable and accelerate new housing capacity and the delivery of zoned and development-ready residential land in regional NSW.
• Support new housing capacity in regional NSW and enable future development by resolving issues and constraints.
• Better align and coordinate housing and infrastructure delivery.
• Support more housing choice and the availability of affordable and diverse housing in regional NSW.
• Make housing in regional NSW more resilient to natural hazards and other potential shocks and stresses.
• Empower and support local councils to plan strategically for future housing supply.

All cylinders need to be firing if NSW is to meet its Accord targets. Supporting regional councils, who apart from a few are genuinely supportive of housing as a key plank in their economic growth, is critical.

19. Members in the news

*Please note these articles may be paywall protected

“Institutional investors are turning back to office property as asset values start to improve, with a $600 million injection into a Dexus wholesale fund the latest in a string of capital moves in the past two months… read more… 

After a near-30 per cent post-pandemic decline in values, there are now signs of an improving office market

AFR, 29 April 

“Lendlease plans to develop 1800 apartments for the main Brisbane Olympics athletes’ village that it will convert to build-to-rent or for-sale housing on the RNA Showgrounds site after the 2032 tournament ends…read more…

Lendlease has outlined plans that will house 10,000 Olympic and 5000 Paralympic athletes.

AFR, 30 April

“Stockland chief executive warned that buyers could not pay more in the fast-rising cost environment as they did during the COVID-19 pandemic and would stop buying new homes…read more…

Stockland CEO Tarun Gupta warned this week that without the right fiscal and monetary policy settings in place, a major, slowdown in housing activity would occur.

AFR, 30 April

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