Located 1.5 kilometres from the Tamworth CBD, if approved, the rezoned land will enable a variety of homes to be delivered by Homes NSW close to jobs, services and essential infrastructure.

Key features of the rezoning proposal include:

• approximately 213 new homes with a minimum of 30 per cent dedicated to social and affordable homes and will be managed by a community housing provider,
• new shared pathways connecting to nearby areas, including the Victoria Park precinct, TAFE NSW and Oxley High School,
• building heights of between one and three storeys, and
• opportunities for new and improved community open spaces.

The 16 hectares includes formerly unused TAFE NSW land, and neighbouring Crown and Council-owned land which was identified as being surplus but suitable for housing during the statewide land audit. 

With low rental vacancies, a tight housing market and a growing social housing waiting list, this rezoning proposal will help ease the pressures on local families and forms part of the Minns Labor Government’s historic $6.6 billion Building Homes for NSW program.

The Minns Labor Government has introduced the biggest reform agenda in NSW history to speed up the delivery of new homes by:

• delivering 30,00 new homes on surplus government land, including 6,800 new social housing units,
• introducing a world leading presale guarantee to fast-track construction and increase housing supply, and
• introducing the largest planning reforms in a generation, including establishing the Housing Delivery Authority and prioritising well located homes in communities where people want to live.

The East Tamworth rezoning proposal is on public exhibition from today, for 28 days until Friday, 29 May and the community is encouraged to make a submission via the NSW Planning Portal.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully said:

“Repurposing this surplus government land to support the delivery of much-needed homes is the kind of practical, common‑sense proposal that regional NSW needs.

“This rezoning proposal will help deliver more than 200 homes close to jobs, services and open space in the heart of Tamworth.

“Unlocking opportunities for more homes to be built in Tamworth will help ease a tight regional housing market.”

Minister for Housing, Rose Jackson said:

“This rezoning will deliver more social and affordable homes in East Tamworth, giving more people the chance to live in a safe, secure and genuinely affordable home.

“With more than 600 people on the social housing waitlist in Tamworth, we are taking decisive action to build much-needed new homes for the region.

“We have put our money where our mouth is, investing an historic $6.6 billion in the Building Homes for NSW program to build thousands of new public homes across our state.”

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:

“Unlocking this land in East Tamworth is another step in delivering the homes our regional communities urgently need.

“This site was identified through the land audit, which has now uncovered opportunities for around 11,400 new homes across NSW, half of which are earmarked for delivery by Landcom and Homes NSW.

“It shows what’s possible when we take a fresh look at unused government land and put it to work for the people who need housing the most.”