Inner West ready to deliver housing targets

Wednesday, 29 May 2024

Media release
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne

Inner West Council welcomes today’s release of the NSW Government’s housing targets and is getting on with a new Local Environmental Plan (LEP) that can deliver these dwellings.

The Government’s dwelling target of 7800 new homes in the Inner West over the next five years is achievable and can be delivered through Council’s local planning without the need for State Government rezonings to be imposed.

Council has already informed the Planning Minister Paul Scully that this Inner West LEP will be submitted to the Government by the end of the year.

Importantly, the Council has set a goal of 1000 new public housing dwellings to be included in the five-year target to ensure more homes for low- and middle-income families are available in the Inner West.

“We’ve been clear that the Inner West wants to take responsibility for addressing the housing supply crisis and we are capable of doing this at the local level,” Byrne said.

“Now that we have the NSW Government’s dwelling target, we will be able to respond soon to identify how that can be incorporated into our local planning controls.

“Unlike other Councils we have already committed to completing our new local housing plan to be submitted to the Government by Christmas.

“Importantly, our target of 1000 public housing dwellings will be incorporated into our plans. Addressing the housing affordability crisis requires not just increased densities, but significantly increased investment in new social and affordable housing as well.

“These new public housing dwellings can be achieved through the use of local Council and State Government owned land, including at the Bays Precinct and on Council carparks that have been offered to the Government already.

“We will also offer density incentives to faith-based charities to deliver new affordable housing on the vast array of properties that they own in the Inner West.”

Please find attached Council’s letter of 22 May to Planning Minister Scully committing to submitting the Inner West Local Environmental Plan (PDF 1.3MB)

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For media enquiries please contact Jonny Browne, Jonny.Browne@innerwest.nsw.gov.au