Housing policy in spotlight as NSW voters head to polls
State and federal governments will doubtlessly be looking at the canary in the coal mine when New South Wales council polls are decided with housing front and centre as an issue.
This year, in the midst of the worst housing crisis the community has ever experienced, New South Wales’ council elections are somewhat of a litmus test for local government areas across the state.
NSW residents on the weekend (14 September) headed to the polls for council elections. Will there be any backlash against traditionally anti-development councils?
The urgent need to implement the housing supply solution rests with governments at all levels and local councils have a crucial role to play.
Many have not lived up to their end of the bargain and are therefore in part to blame for the housing shortage we are grappling with.
Some councils appear set on persisting with a NIMBY (not in my back yard) approach. Others understand they must get serious to meet ambitious housing targets.
Candidates will appeal to voters from all standpoints. It’s worth remembering that the term ‘NIMBY’ has been in the lexicon for decades, but ‘YIMBY’ is a relatively new idea. There’s a reason for this.
Driven by worsening affordability and increasing homelessness, many people in communities across the country are sick and tired of the views of those with property taking preference over the housing needs of those without.
It will be interesting to see how this rising discontent plays out at the polls.
Streamlining development approvals
Everyone recognises the urgent need to build more homes but the pace of new supply progress is glacial. We need new ideas which deliver real outcomes.
Beyond election day, while most councils will need to balance conflicting interests in their communities, all could benefit from greater efficiency in planning.
To this end, the REINSW has suggested various solutions. One is for a set of clear and unopposable guidelines to be established by the NSW Government for councils to refer to when presented with development applications.
Councils could be instructed to approve without delay any project with a development approval (DA) complying with a definitive set of ‘must-haves’. We don’t suggest an open invitation for developers to proceed with reckless abandon. The DA criteria must be sensible, strict and appropriate, so that high quality and compliant developments can get underway quickly.
Another potential solution puts the onus on councils by requiring them to detail what a compliant development looks like.
From building heights to floor-space ratios, sustainability requirements and quality controls, developers with a clear understanding of what they need to address in the design stage could, in return, reasonably expect a timely approval.
Industry awards
This month we celebrate the best in the real estate business in the 27th instalment of the REINSW Awards for Excellence.
On Saturdays, when most people are deciding what to do with their day, sales agents are in their markets working for buyers and vendors. After hours, when a renter experiences an issue in their home, property managers are on the phone working for their tenants and landlords.
Real estate professionals can be perceived as living a glamorous life but so much of what great agents do happens out of the spotlight. The best operators owe their success to the plain hard work they do for their customers and in their communities.
As the peak body for the industry, the REINSW is committed to recognising these efforts and we look forward to revealing the 2024 award winners soon.
