The Housing Delivery Authority (HDA), part of Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) Department of Planning, has begun accepting expressions of interest (EOIs) for 'large-scale' housing developments, and within the first three weeks of operation has received nearly 100 proposals.
These proposals have the potential to deliver more than 40,000 new homes in the state, with more expected to come.
Out of the total EOIs, 85 are from metropolitan areas and 11 are from regional NSW, which has surpassed initial expectations.
The HDA is offering a streamlined process for housing development proposals, providing a new State Significant Development (SSD) pathway that bypasses council approvals.
This approach is expected to reduce approval times and accelerate the delivery of new homes in the state.
Recognising that 'major' residential projects worth more than $60m in metropolitan areas and $30m in regional NSW can face lengthy assessment processes, the HDA now allows these developments to be submitted directly through its system.
The proposals typically require substantial resources and planning capabilities, leading to delays in council planning systems that can span years.
Such holdups exacerbate housing shortages, affordability issues, and uncertainty for developers eager to construct new homes.
Next month, the HDA will convene to propose recommendations for projects to be declared SSDs, after which community consultation and assessment will follow.
NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said: “We expected 80 to 100 EOIs in the first year, so to see this many in less than a month signals trust from the industry in the Minns Government to deliver.
“Building more homes for NSW is a priority for the Minns Labor Government and the HDA is a major step towards unlocking those homes.
“This pathway is about seeing good-quality projects move through the planning system faster and as part of that process, if we don’t see shovels in the ground in two years, proponent[s] will lose their approval."
Earlier this month, the NSW state government, in collaboration with the Australian federal government, began construction on the Eurobodalla Emergency Services Precinct at Moruya. This initiative aims to enhance the safety of the state’s South Coast community.
