The Perrottet Government has allocated $328 million in funding for housing in regional New South Wales, to ensure the state alleviates housing pressures in areas of need.
Deputy Premier Paul Toole says the investment will be utilised to increase housing across the State by fast-tracking planning, building new homes, upgrading social housing, bolstering key worker accommodation and unlocking government-owned land.
“We know housing is one of the biggest limiting factors in attracting workers and driving further growth in the regions, which is why we’re investing an extra $327.8 million to tackle this issue with practical solutions,” he says.
“It includes $174 million to deliver more than 270 new homes for teachers, nurses and police, ensuring we’re looking after the people caring for our communities.
“Developing new housing is complex, and this package will ensure we get the many parts of the system working together, including councils, industry, developers and community housing providers.”
Treasurer Matt Kean says regional housing is a priority for the state, with up-front planning, coordinated infrastructure delivery and a pipeline of development-ready land key to building more homes.
“We know the key to unlocking housing in regional New South Wales is the delivery of critical infrastructure, which is why we’re investing $120 million to build transformational infrastructure that will unlock new homes in the regions,” he says.
Minister for Planning and Minister for Homes Anthony Roberts says the funding will support the delivery of prioritised infrastructure by local governments to pave the way for thousands of regional homes in the next four years.
“We’re also focusing on implementing the recommendations of the Regional Housing Taskforce, which is why we are investing $33.8 million to help regional councils plan for growth by providing up-front strategic planning grants and the expansion of the urban development program to bring together infrastructure providers, industry and planners to actively manage and unblock the housing supply pipeline,” Roberts says.
“In 2021, the NSW Government launched the Regional Housing Taskforce to address regional housing pressures and identify recommendations to boost housing supply and affordability. Our package responds to the recommendations of the Taskforce.
“This investment will deliver more land for homes sooner and different types of homes to meet the community’s needs, as well as provide certainty to attract investment and better data to make sure the right homes are built in the right places.”
Image: NSW Government
