Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos calls for Mayors’ roundtable with NSW Premier Chris Minns to address housing crisis

An eastern suburbs mayor is calling for a Mayors’ roundtable with NSW Premier Chris Minns to combat infrastructure challenges and identify solutions for long-term housing stock.

Paula Masselos is re-elected as the mayor of Waverley council

The mayor of one of Sydney’s highest density areas has called on the NSW Premier to take part in a Mayors’ roundtable to identify solutions for long-term housing stock.

Waverley mayor Paula Masselos has requested Premier Chris Minns take part in the forum with Sydney mayors to provide urgent solutions to the lack of affordable housing in the state.

Ms Masselos said the forum would address both local challenges and wider infrastructural issues – and help provide solutions.

“I applaud the Premier’s goal to increase affordable housing stock and it’s a goal many local councils share, including Waverley Council,” Ms Masselos said. “This forum can really help make practical, in perpetuity solutions a reality.”

She said her proposal was in response to the Premier’s announcement the state government planned to offer incentives to developers on residential projects $75m or more containing at least 15 per cent affordable housing – which she said would not address long-term housing problems.

Ms Masselos said she wanted the NSW Government to provide funding to local councils to purchase and manage affordable housing “in perpetuity”.

“What’s left of our affordable housing stock is being snapped up by developers, and is being replaced by small, overly expensive units that do not cater to the diverse housing needs of our community,” she said. “We need to look at local solutions to meet those challenges.”