Regional Development Australia Central Coast (RDACC) has supported Central Coast Council’s announcement that Pacific Link Housing is to be its official partner in the first stage of its Affordable Housing Land Proposal program.
“As a key driver of affordable housing initiatives across the region, RDACC supports collaboration between all levels of government and industry to address this critical regional issue,” Deputy Chair Anna Cruckshank said.
“With the Central Coast’s population expected to increase by 15 per cent to 404,265 people by 2041, affordable housing is a major economic and social issue we all need to work together to address.
“Based on our current population projections, the Central Coast will need in excess of 78,000 homes to accommodate our population growth within less than two decades.
“Our regional economic development is currently being hampered by an acute housing shortage, with vacancies of around 1 per cent in both the rental and sales markets preventing staff and skilled workers from relocating to the Coast and causing deepening social issues.
“These factors will only continue to become more of a challenge over time given our expected population growth, so now is the time for our regional leaders to take action to address this critical housing shortage.”
CEO and Director Regional Development, John Mouland, said RDACC has been working with its partners to implement affordable housing solutions.
“In September this year, a collaboration between RDACC, Business NSW and Pacific Link Housing brought together over 100 business and community leaders at the inaugural Central Coast Housing Forum to discuss the impact of housing affordability gaps for the region,” he said.
“This event facilitated collaboration between industry, government and regional stakeholders to provide input into our way forward.
“Outcomes of the forum will help us to accelerate development and plan for the various housing needs of the Central Coast as a future city.”
Following the event, Pacific Link Housing, in partnership with key regional stakeholders including RDACC, produced a paper on the State of Affordable Housing on the Central Coast in 2022, which represents the culmination of forum ideas and sets out the elements needed to see more affordable housing delivered on the Central Coast.
“It’s fantastic to see Central Coast Council now partnering with Pacific Link to implement tangible solutions to this regional challenge — and the affordable housing development planned for The Entrance is a step in the right direction,” Mouland said.
More affordable housing could be delivered, empty buildings and vacant land used to provide accommodation to tackle homelessness, and social housing could be rolled out faster, as part of a raft of policy changes now on public exhibition.
NSW Department of Planning and Environment Deputy Secretary of Planning Policy Brett Whitworth said the Department was seeking feedback on proposed changes to its statewide housing policy, to better enable the planning and delivery of housing for people with particular needs.
“Everyone has the right to a home, no matter where they live or their income, and we are doing everything we can to unlock the delivery of more affordable housing.”
Brett Whitworth, NSW Planning Department
“We’re proposing a 25 per cent increase to the infill affordable housing floor space bonus available, to make it easier to plan for and deliver affordable housing.
“We’re also reviewing our existing affordable housing contribution scheme guidance, to see where further improvements can be made.”
Whitworth said the proposed changes would help tackle homelessness as well.
“A stable home is still out of reach for some in our community, but the Government is committed to halving the number of people sleeping rough by 2025,” he said.
“We are proposing changes to planning rules that would make it easier for empty buildings and vacant land to be used for temporary accommodation, with on-site support services, including counselling and medical services.
“We’re also proposing to support our $554M commitment to fast-track new and upgraded social and Aboriginal housing, by allowing the NSW Land and Housing Corporation and Aboriginal Housing Office to self-assess developments of up to 75 homes, and speeding up the assessment of projects larger than this through the State Significant Development pathway.”
The proposed changes also include: creating a new State Significant Development pathway for residential developments worth more than $100M that include a minimum 20 per cent of GFA as either social or affordable housing; replacing group homes and hostels with two new housing types (high support accommodation and supported living); updating the accessibility and design standards for independent seniors living units; and allowing boarding houses on more land in regional areas, and extending the existing floor space ratio bonus for this housing type to land where shop-top housing is permitted.
Feedback is also sought on a proposed new design guide for seniors’ housing.
For more information and to lodge a submission on the full list of proposed changes to the Housing State Environmental Planning Policy and design guide by Monday, December 19, visit: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/housing-sepp.
Source:
Media release, Nov 22
Regional Development Australia Central Coast