Minister for Western Sydney will only accept its share of new housing for fair share of new jobs
WESTERN Sydney wants to shut the door on high-density development, with the man responsible for the region declaring it “will only accept its share of new housing if it gets its fair share of new jobs”.
NSW
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WESTERN Sydney wants to shut the door on high-density development, with the man responsible for the region declaring it “will only accept its share of new housing if it gets its fair share of new jobs”.
In a powerful speech to industry leaders today, Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres will highlight a “tale of two cities” in Western Sydney, with the outer west evolving as a “new frontier”.
And he will sound a warning against any move to boost high-density development. It reflects a shift by the state government against unrestrained house building, amid a community backlash.
“Outer Western Sydney will only accept its share of new housing if it gets its fair share of new jobs,” Mr Ayres will say.
“Jobs and infrastructure are inextricably linked … Our infrastructure agenda must be unashamedly focused on attracting private capital to Outer Western Sydney.
“Given ... unprecedented level of government investment it’s now time for the private sector to look further west, to the new frontier, and invest with confidence.”
His speech will add the lesson of infrastructure delivery is “that planning for the future, even years ahead, is critical — even if it requires difficult conversations with the public”.
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While housing shortages persist in pockets of Sydney’s middle and outer west, elsewhere residents are pushing back against development proposals. For example, plans for a $3 billion project in Castle Hill ground to a halt last month after it was rejected by council.
Mr Ayres told The Daily Telegraph in separate comments that policy leaders needed to “adjust their thinking” around Western Sydney, which he described as “the positive tale of two cities, not one”.
“One is centred on Parramatta and its surrounds, the other is a new north-south city to the west of the M7 that links the northwest via Penrith and the airport to Campbelltown.”