How to attend meeting with Garry Fielding, head of Regional Housing Taskforce

The taskforce is investigating regional housing issues and wants to hear from the community about the barriers they experienced in buying, renting and building a place to live on the Northern Rivers.

Couple outside houses for sale and for rent 30 Aug 2004. Real Estate Signs.

The planning expert leading the taskforce combating housing shortages in regional areas of NSW is coming to the Northern Rivers.

The NSW Government established a Regional Housing Taskforce in response to increasing pressures on the supply and affordability of housing in regional NSW and they are coming to talk to the community.

The taskforce is charged with investigating regional housing issues and wants to hear from the community about the barriers they experienced in buying, renting and building a place to live on the Northern Rivers.

The group was headed by experienced planner Garry Fielding and also includes senior experts from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and Department of Regional NSW.

The team will host a series of virtual consultations are scheduled, as well as in-person meetings in Ballina, Orange and Queanbeyan.

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin urged residents to register for upcoming online sessions in August or for face-to-face meetings hosted by the Regional Housing Taskforce in Ballina on August 17 and 18.

“The new housing taskforce wants to hear your experiences to better understand the challenges when buying and renting in the bush, so it can drive policy that delivers new housing opportunities for regional communities,” Ms Saffin said.

“This is the community’s chance to voice their opinions on housing issues affecting the Northern Rivers and Northern Tablelands.”

Garry Fielding.

Mr Fielding is a qualified town planner with more than 40 years of experience in state and local government and the private sector.

He worked at senior executive levels with the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and also as head planner with Newcastle, Woollahra and Maitland councils.

Mr Fielding is a Life Fellow and former NSW President of the Planning Institute of Australia and is the State-appointed Chair of the Western Regional Planning Panel.

The taskforce will use the evidence and insights to make recommendations to the Government on ways to address barriers to the delivery of regional housing.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said Mr Fielding will identify solutions that will boost supply and encourage greater housing choice.

“Mr Fielding’s recommendations will allow us to partner with willing councils on new ways on planning and delivery more housing opportunities in our thriving regions.”

The Taskforce is to submit a report outlining its findings into the investigation of planning barriers to regional housing delivery to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces in September 2021, followed by a second report with recommendations to address identified barriers to delivery of regional housing in October 2021.

For more information, register for the Ballina event or make an online submission, visit www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/regional-housing.

All face-to-face meetings will observe strict COVID-19 health and safety protocols.