Right house for the right location

1-minute summary:

• Council is working on the actions in the Wollongong Housing Strategy to improve housing opportunities.
• The Housing Strategy seeks to increase the overall availability and affordability of housing across the City of Wollongong by providing for the right type of housing in the right locations.
• Council welcomes the principles of the NSW Government Housing initiatives however questions if the new policies should apply equally to all parts of the LGA.

Tonight, Wollongong City Council reinforced its commitment to increasing the amount of housing that is available in the right location in Wollongong and our suburbs.

On Monday 5 February, Council noted the progress report for the Wollongong Housing Strategy which included an update on a number of actions. The Wollongong Housing Strategy is a guide for the future housing decisions within the Wollongong Local Government Area (LGA) for the next 10-20 years.

“Some of these actions, like changes to Planning Proposals and Neighbourhood Plans will help increase the housing supply in appropriate areas. Other actions, like allocating $5 Million to Head Start Homes for the delivery of an Affordable Home Ownership Scheme, will help make it easier for people to access affordable housing," said Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM.

“We have a very specific and important role when it comes to supporting the housing needs of our community. Our role as local government is through our planning controls, how we purposefully allocate funds from developers and through the conversations we have with stakeholders including other levels of government.”

What’s in the Report

The report contains:

• What actions Council has made and is working on
• Feedback on a number of recent policy changes announced in November and December 2023 by the NSW Government to address housing supply and affordability.

Cr Bradbery said Council is advocating for improved housing opportunities for the community by recommending a site-specific approach. That means building the right house in the right location.

“Housing is a complex issue that requires the support and intervention of all levels of government, and we welcome meaningful discussion with the NSW Government regarding possible solutions. At the same time, it’s important to note that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t practical for our community,” Cr Bradbery said.

“At the end of the day, what our community wants is for Council to take a balanced approach to prioritising housing. That means considering the constraints and opportunities for any given location and the tools we have at our disposal to influence the housing pipeline. Most of all, it means right house in the right location.”

Located 1.5 hours south of Sydney, the City of Wollongong faces different challenges.

“For example, in our northern villages, we not only have a number of environmental constraints, but we’re also limited by the current level of infrastructure that helps move people from A to B, Cr Bradbery said.

“West Dapto, our fastest-growing residential area, is expected to grow to 19,000 new homes and 50,000 people. We’ll need to do that in a way that grows with investment in community services, transport, and infrastructure. We can’t do this alone - our local planning approach encourages the development sector as well as State and Federal governments to invest in critical services for the community such as schools, health, and transport services.”

Putting strategy into perspective

Wollongong City Council General Manager Greg Doyle said that higher interest rates and increasing cost-of-living pressures are impacting a large part of the community.

“The housing needs of the Wollongong community are changing. Wollongong City Council is advocating for solutions that address current housing issues and ease housing stress, while also looking at the types of housing the city might need in the future that consider our local constraints and opportunities.” Mr Doyle said.

A quick look at some of the actions underway

• Increasing housing supply – by rezoning land and approving neighbourhood plans to permit an estimated 2845 dwellings across multiple locations in our Southern Suburbs of Port Kembla, Dapto and Kembla Grange.
• Affordable housing – Allocating $5M to Head Start Homes for the delivery of an Affordable Home Ownership Scheme. Read more: ‘Council awards $5 million to address housing affordability’.
• Assisting support organisations – Adopted the Wollongong City-wide Development Contributions Plan 2023 which includes contribution exemptions for housing of an affordable rental, supportive or emergency nature.
• Releasing Council-owned land – Council is in the process of selling a land holding in Stream Hill (West Dapto) which will add to the city’s housing supply.
• Advocating for the community – working collaboratively with the NSW and Federal Governments and agencies to support positive strategic planning outcomes.
• Improving decision making –Council participated in the Faster Local Approvals Grant program which resulted in improved determination timeframes for land subdivision applications.
• Efficient assessments – Council has improved assessment times for development applications (DAs) to a competitive median turnaround time of 39 days.

Council’s response to NSW Government reforms

In November and December 2023, the NSW Government announced a package of reforms that may have implications for the Wollongong Housing Strategy and Wollongong’s future. These reforms could mean that some of the strategies in the Wollongong Housing Strategy may not be achievable.

Council has provided feedback on the package of reforms and will soon make a submission on one of the NSW Government’s latest reforms - Explanation of Intended Effect (EIE) for Changes to create Low and Mid-Rise Housing and transport Orientated Development Program.

“We welcome many of the NSW Government’s suggested changes as important first steps and a continuation in our robust and ongoing conversations around improving housing in Wollongong. If we are to do this, we will rely on the ongoing support of the NSW Government,” Mr Doyle said.

“By providing feedback on the proposed reforms, Council can share our experience and unique situation as a city and try and avoid long term legacy issues for future generations. We have an opportunity to work closely together and reach solutions that meets the current and future needs of our community. “

Read the full report in Council’s Business Papers.