NSW Premier Chris Minns was on the Central Coast last week to reassure Coasties of Labor’s determination to tackle the housing crisis head-on, ahead of the impending state budget and to garner support for proposed planning reforms.
Visiting the Mars factory at Berkeley Vale, Minns said with inflation coming down and hopes the Reserve Bank would institute more interest rate cuts there was “a lot of room for confidence” in the economy.
“There are lots of positive signs with many businesses starting to think about expansion,” he said.
“Unemployment hasn’t been this low for decades and there are tons of opportunities for school leavers and young people to pursue whatever profession they want.”
Minns said the government was making record investment in infrastructure and although there was more to do regarding roads on the Central Coast, connections across different parts of NSW were improving, helped by a big spend on public transport.
“As a result, the way business operates is getting better and with an increasing population that’s exactly the way it should be,” he said.
But the Premier warned there were “real challenges ahead”.
He said despite the Federal Labor Party holding all Central Coast seats, the state election was to be held early in 2027.
“The shortest way to be kicked out of office is to take the Central Coast for granted,” he said.
“I don’t want any MPs to think they’re in a safe seat – that’s not the way the world works any more and it drives a sense of hubris and arrogance.
“We are here to work for you and it’s important to learn from what’s happening on the ground so businesses can grow into the future.”
Minns said housing supply in the state was still a major concern, due to a planning system that was “way too complicated”.
“We have introduced the Housing Delivery Authority to drive positive change for the future but more needs to be done,” he said.
“We would love to have a bipartisan housing and planning law introduced late this year or early next year to cement changes so builders and those in the construction game know the rules aren’t going to change based on the whim of whoever is in office.”
He said more capital needed to be spent on housing and construction, with NSW having the highest median rents and housing prices and producing the least amount of houses on the eastern seaboard.
“We want the next generation living right here in NSW and if they can’t afford to do it they are going to leave,” he said.
“We should take lessons from places such as Vancouver, Auckland and Tokyo; they have confronted the challenge to produce more housing and we should be able to do the same thing.”
“The planning system is holding us back and we need support for our reforms; something’s got to give.”
Terry Collins
