Has Govt given green light to more red tape?

The NSW government has come up with a novel way of cutting through the red tape and bureaucracy that are holding up the construction of much-needed housing and homes – by adding another level of bureaucracy and red tape.

Okay, that’s a bit cynical.  The government is inviting developers to put forward proposals to its newly minted Housing Development Authority (HDA) that will qualify for its State Significant Development (SSD) program that will tie in with plans to rezone areas for major residential developments.

The Press Release issued this week doesn’t say it in so many words, but they are talking about apartment blocks being built in areas from which they were previously excluded but which make all kinds of sense now.

The key phrases in the announcement use terms like “high-yield types of residential accommodation” that can be “constructed quickly” and “contribute to affordable housing supply”.

In other words, medium to high-rise apartment blocks – only the word apartments doesn’t appear anywhere in the release.

Now, there are few words developers like more than “rezoning” so there may well be a quick uptake on these proposals.  But why doesn’t Planning NSW just come out and says “apartments” or “unit blocks”?  Is it because they don’t want to scare the Nimby horses?

Here’s the Press release in its entirety:

Expressions of Interest (EOI) are now open for the new Housing Delivery Authority (HDA), set to speed up the delivery of well-located homes to NSW.

The newly established HDA will help deliver the homes that young people, families and key local workers need – a major reform which will streamline the development of major housing projects.

The HDA will lead a new State Significant Development (SSD) pathway and State Significant Development with a concurrent rezoning process for major residential developments.

The EOI process will remain open with proposals submitted to be reviewed monthly, giving industry ongoing opportunities to have their proposals considered.

Established on the 19^th of December, only a month after it was announced, the HDA includes Simon Draper, Secretary of the Premier’s Department; Kiersten Fishburn, Secretary of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure; and Tom Gellibrand, CEO of Infrastructure NSW.  

Before a proposal is recommended to be declared a State Significant Development project, the Department will assess it against criteria that meet the objectives of this EOI process, which are: 

• Identify high-yield housing proposals by focusing on known high-yield types of residential accommodation. 
• Identify housing projects that can be assessed and constructed quickly by focusing on more compliant, major housing proposals that can commence construction quickly.
• Drive quality and affordable housing by focusing on housing development proposals that are well-located, have enabling infrastructure and contribute to affordable housing supply.
• Complement the State Significant Rezoning Policy by providing a potential pathway for major housing proposals that are seeking concurrent rezoning.

This new assessment pathway will reduce the number of large complex Development Applications (DA) councils are required to assess each year, freeing up resources for councils to assess less complex DAs faster.

Delivering well-located homes close to transport, jobs and community amenity has been a priority for the Minns Government, and this pathway will streamline the assessment of these projects.

This is part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to build a better NSW with more homes and services, so young people, families and key local workers have somewhere to live and in the communities they choose.

For more information visit Housing Delivery Authority | Planning

“The Minns Labor Government is pulling every lever to tackle the housing crisis and encourage developers to build and boost housing supply and overall affordability,”acting Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Anoulack Chanthivong said.

“The NSW Government will do everything possible to build a better future for NSW so young people, families and key local workers have somewhere to live and in the communities they choose.”