Slow DA times threaten housing target

The Hunter and Central Coast are performing well on housing delivery compared to other regions in NSW, but there are significant opportunities to further accelerate development and support population growth, according to the Property Council of Australia.

Property Council Hunter and Central Coast Regional Director Amy De Lore said new analysis of ABS building approvals showed that the region wa- on track to deliver 68 per cent of its housing targets by 2029 – above the 57 per cent expected across the 43 councils tasked with housing targets under the NSW Government’s commitment to the National Housing Accord.

While Maitland and Cessnock councils are standouts, De Lore said that on the Central Coast, supporting the Council to recover from four years of administration was critical.

“There is enormous potential for both greenfield and infill development across the Central Coast, but long assessment timeframes are discouraging investors,” she said.

“Getting the council back on its feet and improving DA processing times must be a priority.”

While the Central Coast is the second lowest performer in the Central Coast/Hunter region, its expected completion rate of 65 per cent is above 25 of the 43 councils which have been set targets by the State Government.