City of Parramatta believes that the NSW Government should look to adopt an affordable housing strategy in perpetuity, as opposed to a limited time period, in the wake of the recent developments at National Cabinet level.

Parramatta Council recently approved Affordable Housing Contributions Schemes in key precincts including Westmead, Camellia and Granville as well as consider the potential for Council-owned land to deliver affordable rental dwellings.

While the work by Parramatta is an excellent display of initiative, it has called upon the Minns Government to craft a two-year action plan aimed at driving up affordable housing supply, with Lord Mayor Sameer Pandey outlining its priority for his Council in a recent interview.

“The 2021 Census data showed a third of renters and almost a quarter of mortgage holders across the LGA were spending more than 30 percent of their gross income on housing. This has only become worse with multiple interest rate rises in the past 12 months,” he says.

“We’re looking at all the levers within our control to drive up supply, but this is not an issue we can solve alone.”

Pandey was at pains to make it clear that a long-term affordable housing plan is the only way to amend the current crisis.

“Any development bonuses should be for affordable housing that is provided in perpetuity. Housing pressures are not going to disappear in 15 years,” he says.

“The NSW Government also needs to prioritise investment in key transport infrastructure that will unlock housing potential, like Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 and more stations for Sydney Metro West.

“We want the State Government to work with us and help us achieve our goals as we make the City of Parramatta more affordable to live in.”

Parramatta’s own housing plan will be reviewed in 12 months, with a final evaluation in 2025. It builds on City of Parramatta’s existing Affordable Rental Housing Policy established in 2019. 

In an effort to assist the state government, Council has already rezoned land and increased densities in growth precincts to deliver its 23,660 dwelling target set by the State Government for the 2021 to 2026 period. Thousands more dwellings are forecast to be approved as more growth precincts are planned.