Making sure there are enough homes for people of all ages, and all incomes is important to Wollongong’s future.
For too long our city has not been building enough homes and this has led to housing becoming unaffordable for too many people.
The only way we can address our housing challenges is to build more homes.
The Minns Labor Government and I have been implementing some of the biggest reforms in the state’s history to make it easier to build a home and fairer to rent one.
These reforms include:
- The most substantive overhaul of the state’s planning system in 50 years
- Rezoning areas around transport hubs for greater density
- Reforming state infrastructure contributions to that community-enabling infrastructure is delivered alongside new homes
- Rental reforms ending no-grounds evictions, limiting the number of rent increases a year and introducing a portable rental bond system to reduce the cost of moving
- Making the biggest investment in social housing in the state’s history – building 8400 social homes and repairing more than 30,000 others to get them ready for tenants again
- Making it easier to use old accommodation options as emergency housing while planning approvals for redevelopments are sought
- Identifying surplus government land that can be turned into homes
- Integrating affordable housing as part of the planning system in NSW
- Making sure that areas of higher density living have parks and public spaces nearby for recreation
- Expanding the NSW Building Commission, including setting up an office in Wollongong, to oversee and maintain quality standards in the construction sector
Right now, NSW has the highest number of homes under construction of any state or territory and Wollongong has the highest number of housing approvals of any local government area outside of Sydney and is among the top 10 areas in the state.
We have more to do to make sure that people have a secure home for their future and we will continue to make changes that will allow young people and future generations to get a home to either rent or to buy.
