Mayors of Regional Cities Urge Action on Affordable Housing Crisis

Regional city mayors are urgently rallying the NSW Government to address the critical shortage of affordable housing outside of Sydney, as regional areas confront a pressing housing crisis exacerbated by an influx of new residents.

The call to action emanates from Regional Cities NSW, the premier advocacy body championing regional communities in NSW, which unanimously endorsed a motion highlighting the deepening housing crisis in regional areas. Presented during a recent gathering in Wagga Wagga, the motion aims to draw attention to the dire situation and implore NSW Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Rose Jackson, and CEO of Homes NSW, Rebecca Pinkstone, to take swift action.

The motion seeks an immediate audience with housing leaders to delve into the NSW Government’s investment plans for regional cities and devise on-the-ground solutions over the next two years to tackle the shortage of social and affordable housing. Additionally, it urges exploration of potential incentives to expedite private residential developments and expedite their entry into the market.

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Mayor Chris Cherry of Tweed Shire spearheaded the motion, highlighting the challenges faced by the Tweed community due to escalating levels of homelessness and disadvantage stemming from the housing shortfall. He emphasised the urgent need for tangible outcomes to alleviate the crisis, particularly as the Tweed’s housing affordability worsened following the COVID-19 pandemic and devastating floods of February-March 2022.

Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry (centre) and Chair of Regional Cities NSW Mathew Dickerson (in suit and tie) together with mayors and general managers at the Regional Cities NSW meeting held last week.

Chair of Regional Cities NSW and Mayor of Dubbo Regional Council, Mathew Dickerson, echoed these sentiments, stressing the necessity for innovative solutions to address the long-standing problem of housing scarcity in regional areas. He underscored the paradoxical situation where regional cities remain desirable destinations for residents, yet the housing supply consistently fails to meet demand, resulting in myriad housing-related challenges.

In its submission to the NSW Government’s draft Budget, Regional Cities NSW delineates key housing-related priorities, including sustained support for regional housing needs, collaboration with Local Government to bolster social and affordable housing supply, and advocacy for incentive mechanisms to stimulate land development and the Build to Rent initiative. The submission also advocates for measures such as annual indexing of developer contributions, support for the Local Infrastructure Renewal Scheme (LIRS), investment in regional planners, and augmentation of existing affordable and social housing density across regional NSW.

Representing 15 major regional cities in NSW, including Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Broken Hill, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Goulburn Mulwaree, Griffith, Lismore, Maitland, Orange, Queanbeyan Palerang, Tamworth, Tweed Shire, and Wagga Wagga, Regional Cities NSW aims to address housing challenges and enhance liveability across regional communities through concerted efforts and collaborative advocacy.

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