NSW will establish a new unit called the Housing and Infrastructure Delivery Office to drive housing delivery in greenfield and urban renewal areas and report on housing supply.

Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Brad Hazzard announced it as part of the restructure to deliver more housing and jobs across the state.

“A new executive structure will also allow the Department of Planning and Infrastructure to provide sustainable housing growth, business and infrastructure investment in NSW,” he said.

“The Government is in the process of overhauling the NSW planning system, moving from a complex, over-regulated system to a simple, strategic and more flexible system focussed on outcomes and orderly growth.

“These reforms will ensure the community is better engaged in changes to their regions and local area with planning becoming easier to understand, more transparent and accessible online.

“Delivery of this system will require not only legislative reforms but a fundamental cultural change in the planning profession.

“A new departmental structure will help us deliver on planning priorities, respond promptly and efficiently to community and business concerns,” Mr Hazzard said.

Key features of the structure include:

  • Expanded online planning outcomes, fast-tracked development approvals and long-term planning for resource issues (such as coal and coal seam gas) through new dedicated teams
  • Delivering new long-term rural and regional strategies – in line with a government priority to drive regional growth
  • Improving the culture of planning, both at the department and across the profession – to focus on outcomes rather than process, under the guidance of a specialist Deputy Director General; and
  • Improving community and industry engagement by placing communication staff within project teams as major initiatives are developed.

The announcement was welcomed by the Housing Industry Association, executive director, NSW, David Bare commenting:

“HIA supports any measures that are aimed at removing barriers and drive the delivery of the new housing supply New South Wales so desperately needs.”

“HIA has been calling on the government for some time to demonstrate a collective will and strength to create a “can do” mentality in the provision of planning outcomes that support housing supply. This will remain the critical challenge,” added Bare.