Liverpool Council responds to government's calls for increased housing supply
A southwest Sydney mayor has to the government’s calls for more housing and said his community would only continue the ‘heavy lifting’ if infrastructure was secured.
Liverpool
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A southwest Sydney mayor has responded to the government’s calls for more housing but warned his community would continue the “heavy lifting” if pending infrastructure was secured.
Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun told a council meeting on Wednesday the Planning Minister requested a review of policy rules to increase housing supply for terraces, small unit blocks and mid-rise apartments in the local government area.
Mr Mannoun said Liverpool stood at a critical junction and was “confronted with a myriad of challenges, including housing”.
“The essence of the Australian dream, the aspiration for homeownership is fading,” he said.
“We risk conveying to our future generations that owning a home is an unattainable dream.”
Cr Mannoun said research also showed there was an unmet demand for additional small apartment and low-rise multi-dwelling housing options, and purpose-built rental and affordable housing.
“In Liverpool we face a pressing reality with 20,000 individuals migrating to southwest Sydney annual, which prompts us to not only address but solve these issues in a meaningful and sustainable manner,” he said.
“Liverpool continues to lead in approvals for dwellings, with 1992 approvals in 2022-23, being the third highest council in Greater Sydney and the highest in the Western Parkland City.”
While he said Liverpool was “happy to continue doing the heavy lifting” when it came to growth and housing in western Sydney, funding needed to be secured for crucial projects.
“Our LGA urgently needs infrastructure improvements to improve liveability for existing residents in order to further unlock our development potential,” he said.
The projects he said needed funding included the Fifteenth Ave fast corridor which would link the Liverpool CBD to the future Bradfield City for the new Western Sydney Airport and the southwest rail link extension to connect Leppington station and the aerotropolis.
The Hume Highway and the Brickmakers Drive bypass which would help redirect “severe” traffic congestion around Liverpool was also named as a major project.
This comes after surrounding council areas were targeted for higher density housing to deliver tens of thousands of new homes after the Planning Department accidentally published the government’s full housing blueprint online.
The eight areas targeted for new apartments will be Bankstown, Bays West (also known as The Bays Precinct), Bella Vista, Crows Nest, Homebush, Hornsby, Kellyville and Macquarie Park.
Land within 1200 metres of those stations will be rezoned for higher density to deliver up to 45,000 homes – including “affordable homes” within walking distance of transport links.
The mayoral minute was carried unanimously in the council meeting.
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