Griffith City Council is pleased to announce a 30% increase in the number of secondary dwellings approved since the implementation of the Griffith Housing Strategy during 2020-2021.
The increase reflects the success of Council’s efforts to provide more affordable and diverse housing options for the community.
Griffith Mayor, Councillor Doug Curran said it was good to see the increase and encourages residents to consider the option.
“Housing has not dropped off our radar, in fact it is one of our major focus areas. We are working on it daily. We are still keen to find ways we can expand housing options in Griffith and our villages,” Councillor Curran said.
During 2020-2021, Council implemented Affordable Housing Initiatives aimed at reducing the barriers to affordable housing. These initiatives included the removal of S64 contributions for secondary dwellings, making it easier and more affordable for homeowners to consider building a secondary dwelling on their property.
Council encourages homeowners with the space to spare to consider building a secondary dwelling. By doing so, they can increase the availability of affordable housing options in the community while also providing an additional income stream.
Under the Griffith Housing Strategy, Council determined that the city needed a larger supply of 1 and 2-bedroom dwellings. The projected increase in the number of dwellings required is 1,744 dwellings by 2036. To enable suitable development, Council amended its Development Control Plan (DCP) to facilitate the development of diverse, affordable, and lower cost housing. This included amendments to Floor Space Ratios, providing for reduced parking requirements for Residential apartment buildings and multi-dwelling housing. The removal of height restrictions and reduction of private open space per ground floor have also been applied to dwelling requirements in the CBD.
Council is also encouraging increased development of residential apartment buildings through re-zoning amendments to the Local Environmental Plan (LEP). These measures have allowed for greater flexibility in housing design and enabled more affordable housing options to be developed.
Council resolved in January 2020 to donate land (approx. 730 sq m) to construct additional affordable housing. The block is at the corner of Wakaden and Crossing Streets. Argyle has appointed a construction contractor to build 4 two-bedroom affordable housing units. Construction is due to commence in June.
Griffith City Council and Argyle Housing’s Griffin Green Project is another way Council is working to address the housing shortage. Good progress is being made on the 20 townhouses and more than 42 housing lots currently being built around Dave Taylor Park.
Council will continue to work towards providing diverse and affordable housing options for the Griffith community.