Australia’s biggest shopping centre owner, Scentre Group, is in advanced talks with the NSW government for rezoning approvals allowing it to build more than 4000 homes across two of its Westfield shopping centres.

Scentre is pushing for changes at its shopping centres as part of a long-term play to capitalise on state governments desperate for developers to supercharge home building at a time when housing construction has plummeted significantly compared to 30 years ago.