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Friday, 9 January 2026
In this Edition...
1. Unabashedly YIMBY Chris Rath takes Shadow Planning portfolio in Opposition reshuffle
2. ABS housing approval figures good ... but not great
3. Housing Australia woes
... and much, much more.
4. Vale Stanley Roth AM
5. Council watch
6. All eyes on NYC as Mayor looks set to freeze rents
7. Members in the news
1. Unabashedly YIMBY Chris Rath takes Shadow Planning portfolio in Opposition reshuffle
NSW Opposition Leader, Kellie Sloane, has put her stamp on the Opposition frontbench and from a housing and planning perspective, it is very positive.
Scott Farlow, who played a significant role in steering through the landmark planning reforms last year, with bi-partisan support, has been promoted into the Shadow Treasury role. As a member of the Upper House, he can now go toe-to-toe with the NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey in Question Time. This is a positive move by Kellie Sloane.
With the Liberals clearly across the feasibility question when it comes to housing, it will be interesting to see how Mr Farlow starts holding the Treasurer and his policies to account.
The cumulative impact of fees, taxes and charges on housing supply and feasibility will be a real battle ground in the 15 months leading up to the next NSW election.
While he has big shoes to fill, the appointment of the unabashedly YIMBY Upper House member, Chris Rath MLC to the Shadow Planning and Housing role is also very welcome.
Scott Farlow at our policy conference in 2025
Chris Rath with the NSW Opposition Leader
Chris has been a strong voice for housing supply, and is talking up further reform in the lead up to the 2027 election:
Chris has a strong record opposing red tape in planning and building regulation and was a key figure behind the establishment of the Liberal Friends of Housing last year.
Urban Taskforce looks forward to working with Chris to hold the Government to account and drive further reforms to support housing supply and affordability.
Overall, the Shadow Cabinet takes on a decidedly pro-housing hue. Former Leader Mark Speakman has been appointed Shadow Education Minister, and former Planning Minister, Anthony Roberts, a strident supporter of our industry, is a welcome return to Cabinet as police and counter-terrorism spokesman.
Gone are the days when a handful of ageing NIMBYs dominated the Liberal Party (you know who you are … and so does everyone else).
The new Shadow Cabinet is a welcome evolution of the Liberal Party and will give the NIMBYs no joy.
2. ABS housing approval figures good ... but not great
This week’s ABS monthly housing approvals data for November 2025 shows that the roller coaster ride continues – a bump up for November off the back of disappointing results for the previous month.
Housing approvals keep bouncing around
While there is cause for some optimism - with the recent NSW Planning reforms yet to take full effect, and the HDA building up a head of steam - the number of housing approvals are nowhere near the levels needed to achieve the National Housing Accord targets.
Annualised data shows that in NSW 53,417 dwellings were approved in the 12 months to November 2025 – but the Accord target for NSW is 76,000 completed dwellings each year. There is a long way to go.
The NSW Government seems to have missed the importance of maintaining a strong supply of freestanding dwellings in greenfield locations. These can be delivered in far shorter timeframes than infill development and are the only hope for NSW for getting close to their Housing Accord targets. We need a balance – and right now, with less than 2,000 freestanding housing approvals across NSW each month, we are way behind the historical average.
The policy strength of each party should be measured against the likely housing supply outcomes. The NSW Government will get measured by its record of achievement and by any additional new initiatives undertaken.
The NSW Opposition needs to overcome the uncomfortable truth that it was their party which, under the Berejiklian leadership, ran the planning system into the ground. The changes to the Shadow Cabinet reflect a vast shift – but there is a rump of malcontents who simply don’t like change in their communities and will oppose housing supply at all costs.
Having a serious crack at the National Housing Accord targets must be the framework for the upcoming State and Federal Budgets. By the time the budgets are delivered, we will be almost 2 years into the 5-year Housing Accord targets.
It’s well beyond time for the Albanese Government to step up to the plate when it comes to meeting the national targets. After all, they set the targets, but have done little since to assist the States.
To meet the challenge of the housing supply crisis, all Governments need to look at the pinch points holding back supply – the array of fees, taxes and charges on new housing; red tape reduction and workplace productivity challenges, along with a significant lack of housing enabling infrastructure.
The States can only go so far – it’s time for the Albanese Government to get serious about housing supply, by funding infrastructure to support all types of housing – affordable, social and market.
3. Housing Australia woes
The Albanese Government’s Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) – a cornerstone housing policy since coming to government in 2022, is struggling, with the AFR reporting that only 10% of projects funded through Round One of the HAFF had reached financial close.
In the context of a housing supply crisis, this is a debacle. Reports and enquiries are uncovering severe dysfunctionality, an exodus of key staff and ongoing questions over the performance of the former Chair of Housing Australia and former Minister Julie Collins.
Round 3 stands to be the making or breaking of the HAFF – but we are cautiously optimistic. Housing Australia, now under the leadership of Clare O’Neil, appears to have learned its lessons from the Round one debacle.
Speaking of which, Housing Australia has shared its Round 3 industry market briefing from last December.
- Industry Market Briefing | Presentation
- Industry Market Briefing | Recording of the event
Housing Australia has also published an FAQ page here.
Righting the ship
While Federal Housing Minister Clare O’Neill is trying to right the ship – the fact that only one out of 10 projects has been finalised (and remember Round One was announced in September 2024!) is a poor indictment of the Federal Government’s response to the housing supply crisis. It shows that the Cabinet has not taken the crisis seriously.
We are confident that Minister O’Neil will raise the profile of the issue with her Cabinet colleagues and ensure that housing policies are delivered.
4. Vale Stanley Roth AM
Urban Taskforce Australia, with great sadness, paid tribute to the life, community work and achievements of member Stanley Roth AM, who passed away late last year.
Stanley Roth was a highly respected leader in law, philanthropy and in property development. Stanley was also a strong advocate for the Jewish community in Australia.
With his brother John, Stanley led the property development company Henroth, not least leading the revitalisation of the Circular Quay precinct with the “Toaster” development.
Henroth is a valued member of Urban Taskforce. Over three decades it has grown a significant portfolio across the breadth of Sydney in a range of property types.
Our condolences go to Stanley's family, friends and colleagues.
5. Council watch
Woollahra Council
Hopeless!!!
Late last year we received notification from Woollahra Council that its Draft DCP (to “mitigate the impacts of the NSW Government’s LMR policy”), which was previously exhibited in November 2025, managed to “not comply” with the minimum 28 days required in accordance with the relevant legislation (apparently, they missed the minimum consultation by 12 hours in their rush to Christmas cocktails).
Council subsequently resolved in December to re-exhibit the Draft DCP. We will again submit that the DCP changes should be thrown out.
The re-exhibition has given us a look at the way in which Woollahra Council approaches consultation, directly contacting the following groups:
- Darling Point Society,
- Double Bay Residents Association,
- Edgecliff Residents Action Committee,
- Rose Bay Residents Action Group,
- Rose Bay Residents Association Inc,
- The Paddington Society,
- Queen Street & West Woollahra Association,
- Point Piper Residents,
- Vaucluse Progress Association,
- Woollahra Residents Association, and
- The Watsons Bay Association.
OMG – Sydney YIMBY needs to join up and bring this lot into the last century.
No guessing where these groups stood in terms of a fairer share of housing. Funnily enough, Urban Taskforce didn’t get a call.
Incompetent AND cynical – that’s Woollahra Council!
6. All eyes on NYC as Mayor looks set to freeze rents
Freshly elected New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, looks set to implement one of his key election commitments by freezing rent for the city's 2 million residents living in rent-stabilised apartments.
This is one to watch closely.
As the case of affordable housing taxes demonstrates, some Governments are not adverse to forcing one part of the community to subsidise others.
Is this progressive fiscal initiative to support the poorer sections of the community ... or will it make the undersupply of affordable rental accommodation in New York City worse?
In 2024, Argentinian President and former Economics Professor Javier Milei scrapped rent control laws, which a triggered a rental market boom in Buenos Aires – with a 170% increase in the availability of rental stock, along with a reported 40% drop in real prices.
What transpires in New York may prove another salutary tale when it comes to populist policies crashing on the realities of the market.
The outcome here will be instructive.
NYC Mayor, Zohran Mamdani
7. Members in the news
“Sector heavyweights Lendlease, Coombes Property Group and Mirvac have been appointed to deliver the Hunter Street Station precinct in Sydney’s CBD, including two commercial towers above the future Metro West interchange ... read more ...
The Urban Developer, 5 January
“… Goodman Group chief executive Greg Goodman, who is turning his company into a data-centre powerhouse, said improving productivity was critical to the economy. “We need a productivity kickstart and that’s through investment in infrastructure, technology and skills,” … read more ...
The Australian, 6 January
“… Dexus CEO Ross Du Vernet, who oversees a major office portfolio and funds, said companies were making intentional choices around how they were positioned to attract and retain talent in a tight labour market … read more ...
The Australian, 6 January
“… Planning approval for Holdmark Property Group’s Parramatta dual-tower project did not come easily … read more ...
The Urban Developer, 6 January
“… Proposed for the greenfield Birling Village development by the Cameron Brae Group is a 10,760sq m mall. Space has been dedicated to retail uses including a supermarket, indoor recreation including a swim centre, a health services facility and food and beverage operations … read more ...
The Urban Developer, 8 January
“… The duo’s Sydney-based Celestino Developments is planning a landmark development comprising two sculptural towers … read more ...
The Urban Developer, 8 January
DISCLAIMER: All representations and information contained in this document are made in good faith. The information may contain material from other sources including media releases, official correspondence and publications. Urban Taskforce Australia Ltd accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any information contained in this document.