Housing plan unveiled for Carriageworks precinct

The Minns government will deliver 250 social and affordable homes at the Carriageworks precinct near Redfern station following a statewide audit of public land.

More than a year after Premier Chris Minns ordered his ministers to identify surplus public land as part of his government-wide effort to resolve the state’s housing crisis, the first of 44 sites made available for housing were announced: North Eveleigh, Kellyville, Camden and Camperdown.

Homes NSW will develop the Clothing Store sub-precinct at North Eveleigh, within the broader Carriageworks precinct near Redfern station earmarked for urban renewal. It will build about 500 new dwellings, half of which will be social and affordable homes.

The Clothing Store sub-precinct in North Eveleigh has been marked by the Minns government as a site for affordable housing development.Credit: Jessica Hromas

In the June budget, the government announced 30,000 well-located homes would be built by agencies and the private sector on sites identified through the land audit and other previously rezoned sites. It was part of a $5.1 billion commitment over the next four years to deliver 6200 additional public homes.

In Kellyville, between 75 and 83 homes will be built on land next to the Rouse Hill Metro station, with 50 per cent set aside for social and affordable housing. About 10 dwellings to be built on three Camden addresses will be entirely public and affordable housing.

A site used as part of the WestConnex development on Parramatta Road in Camperdown will be converted into a mixed use development with more than 100 homes in partnership with the private sector.

NSW Premier Chris Minns heralded the identification of the North Eveleigh site.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

The rollout of land identified in the audit comes as part of the Minns government’s broader push to tackle the housing crisis, with the premier committing to building 378,000 homes by July 2029 as part of the National Housing Accord.

Having identified 44 sites in the June budget, the government was tight-lipped on the locations, citing market sensitivity.

Minns said the North Eveleigh site illustrated the “importance of the property audit”, showing well-located and unused spaces should be repurposed for housing.

“We know that housing affordability and availability is the single biggest pressure facing the people of New South Wales, and that without an immediate, comprehensive intervention, Sydney is at risk of becoming a city with no young people,” he said.

“We are prioritising building better homes for New South Wales, to ensure we continue to address the housing crisis for renters, people wanting to enter the housing market, and the most vulnerable members of our community.”

Housing Minister Rose Jackson said without the land audit, these sites could have sat idle for decades. “In just a few years, there will be families and communities calling these places home, she said.

Former Planning Minister Rob Stokes opened expressions of interest to redevelop the Clothing Store sub-precinct at the end of 2022, with the private redevelopment on a 99-year lease constructing 600 build-to-rent homes with 15 per cent earmarked for affordable housing.