Following the release of the recent report from the NSW Productivity Commissioner, Building More Homes Where People Want to Live, Regional Development Australia Central Coast (RDACC) is calling on all levels of government to get serious about creating more affordable housing for the Central Coast.

Key findings of the report demonstrate that we are not currently making the best use of existing infrastructure or adequately supporting the creation of high-density housing around transport hubs.

RDACC Chair, Lawrie McKinna, says with close to 30,000 new dwellings needed on the Central Coast within the next two decades, the time for action is now.

“The NSW Department of Planning and Environment estimates that we’ll need approximately 900,000 additional dwellings across the state by 2041, with around 30,000 of those required on the Central Coast,” says Mr McKinna.

“The housing shortage here on the Coast is serious and will only get worse over the next few years if we don’t cut through the bureaucratic red tape and find workable solutions to provide more affordable housing for our growing community.”

RDACC Deputy Chair, Anna Cruckshank, says the Commission found the greatest effect on reducing house prices could be achieved with a planning process that increases housing density in the areas of highest demand.

“The current demand for housing across NSW is driving rental costs to unprecedented levels and making buying a home completely unaffordable for a large portion of the population,” says Ms Cruckshank.

“The Commissioner’s findings indicate that to decrease housing demand and increase housing affordability would require changing the current planning regulations in ways that allow more people to build more homes in the right places – a critical finding we urge our local planning authorities to seriously consider.”

Pacific Link Housing CEO, Ian Lynch provided the context that, “unfortunately, on the Central Coast, we are well behind meeting even our current housing targets. According to the Central Coast Regional Plan, our current working target is 1,625 new homes per year. However the Department of Planning reports that we only delivered 1,169 new homes last year – a shortfall of 28% and our approvals are tracking below the previous five-year average.”

RDACC CEO and Director Regional Development, John Mouland, says the Productivity Commissioner’s Report although primarily focused on Sydney CBD provides some key recommendations that can be applicable to the Central Coast.

“The Building More Homes… Report cites several key recommendations that we should be applying to support the creation of more affordable housing for the Central Coast community,” says Mr Mouland.

“We should be looking at opportunities including raising average apartment heights in and around places like the Gosford CBD and other high-density employment locations and working together to facilitate development near existing transport hubs such as the high volume of undeveloped land around Tuggerah station.

“There currently exists are number of opportunities for us to effectively take action to address this housing shortage crisis – it requires a concerted, collective effort from all levels of government and our regional leaders to make it happen!”

For more key findings and recommendations to address the growing affordable housing shortage, read the full report from the NSW Productivity Commissioner: Building More Homes Where People Want to Live.

Image Caption, Pictured L-R: RDACC Deputy Chair, Anna Cruckshank, Chair Lawrie McKinna, and CEO John Mouland at the Tuggerah Station transport hub, surrounded by the high volume of undeveloped land around Tuggerah Station.

…

Media Contacts:

Mr Lawrie McKinna, RDACC Chair
P: 4349 4949 E: lawrie.mckinna@rdacc.org.au

Ms Anna Cruckshank, RDACC Deputy Chair
P: 4349 4949 E: annac@aubreybrown.com.au

Mr Ian Lynch, Pacific Link Housing CEO
P: 4324 7617 E: ianl@pacificlink.org.au