Data released by the State Government on its key housing policy, the Transport Oriented Development (TOD) State Environment Planning Policy (SEPP), has come under intense criticism from planning experts. The Government has used a theoretical capacity metric to promise 170,000 new homes across 37 precincts, but experts indicate that only two thirds of those houses could actually be delivered due to market conditions and other factors.
Greens MP and spokesperson for planning, Sue Higginson said, “These new figures represent a perfect example of the State Government’s ill-planned and poorly-executed top down, developer driven agenda,”
“The figures not only represent a theoretical density capacity, failing to take into consideration market conditions, but have been handed down to councils who have not yet been supplied with current housing targets in the first place,”
“Top down planning regulations should never be the first step. Councils responsible for the delivery of well located and appropriate homes in their local government area should be front and centre in any housing and development planning capacity program. To deliver arbitrary and rubbery numbers based on theoretical modelling will result in ad-hoc developments driven by corporate profit driven interests, not community wishes,”
“The Labor Government is selling a planning and housing fantasy, rather than engaging in consultation with local councils and communities. Planning must be place based, community led and rely on the best available uptodate data and environmental assessment,”
“As it stands, not only do the numbers not add up, but the policy has been rushed to this point with poor consultation. There is a decided lack of specific minimum affordable housing incorporated into the Labor Government’s band-aid development plan, and no public housing whatsoever. This is doubly concerning,”
“It is clear that our cities and urban areas must increase density to meet the housing needs of the future but the Government’s top down slap stick approach puts it all at risk. If the community and their local councils are not better engaged and leading, and we are not relying on the most accurate, uptodate data, evidence and environmental assessments, we will not get the housing we really need,” Ms Higginson said.
