The City of Parramatta has voiced concerns that, while planning reform is needed to make housing delivery simpler, legislating the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) risks seriously impacting liveability and economic performance.
Council is calling on the NSW Government for an exemption from the Housing Delivery Authority process, recognising its strong track record of meeting housing targets and its important role in guiding the next phase of Parramatta’s transformation.
City of Parramatta Lord Mayor, Martin Zaiter, said that the NSW Government has worked with Council for decades to invest in city-shaping infrastructure in Parramatta and should have confidence in Council’s ability to create communities that people can live, work and play in.
“The transformation of Parramatta over the past decade has been no accident – it’s been the result of successful strategic planning and collaboration with the NSW Government, industry and community,” Mayor Zaiter said.
“We recognise the critical need to increase housing supply across the state and we’re carrying our weight on housing targets and approvals to support the delivery of quality housing in the right places for our growing City.
“In the last financial year, Council achieved the highest amount of regionally-significant applications in NSW. Council has exceeded the current five-year housing targets by 126 per cent and is currently achieving an average 69-day local development assessment timeframe – setting a high standard for the state.
“This is about giving credit where credit is due – councils like Parramatta that are carrying their weight on housing targets should be exempt from the HDA process.”
Mayor Zaiter said that by overriding local planning processes, the HDA risks delivering inadequate infrastructure for Parramatta’s rapidly growing community.
“There are already declared proposals for approximately 7,500 dwellings beyond Parramatta’s current planning framework sitting with the HDA. If these are approved, we would have a significant infrastructure deficit,” Mayor Zaiter said.
Council has also renewed calls for Parramatta’s commercial core to be protected from build-to-rent provisions to allow for future jobs in the CBD, while starting the conversation about the bespoke legislation needed to address Parramatta’s unique challenges and opportunities.
“The City of Sydney currently stands alone as the sole Local Government Area in New South Wales with a distinct Act granting it exclusive powers and responsibilities.”
“A new City of Parramatta Act could be similarly tailored to address Parramatta’s transformation into a global city and meet the needs of our rapidly-expanding community.”
Council said that it will now write to the State Government seeking changes to the HDA process and recently-introduced planning reforms.
