The government cautioned the audit would not be a panacea for the housing crisis by unearthing large swathes of idle land, but said it was an important measure. It also has a target for 30 per cent of all new homes on public land to be social, affordable or community housing.
One of the government agencies already involved in converting surplus land to affordable housing is the Transport Asset Holding Entity, which Labor pledged to abolish after a Herald investigation revealed cost shifting had inflated the budget bottom line by tens of billions of dollars.
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Late last year TAHE said it had identified four sites for rezoning, at Newtown, Wolli Creek, Granville and Blacktown, and estimated they could provide about 300 apartments. Labor remains committed to dismantling TAHE, but Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said in April it could take as long as five years.
Asked early this year about its surplus land, NSW Health said it maintained property assets for potential expansion of clinical services, “in line with contemporary master planning principles”.
This was a strong consideration for hospitals and health services in high density areas of Sydney, or hospitals in major regional locations, NSW Health said. Land that became surplus to needs was disposed of in accordance with state government guidelines, it added.
Dwelling approvals rose in NSW in March by 3.1 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms. There were just over 3000 homes approved, about half of what the number was for most months in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
As part of the housing supply drive to be announced at Monday’s summit, Minns also wants to strengthen the role of the NSW Building Commissioner, David Chandler. The role was introduced by the previous government to combat dodgy practices and shortcuts in the construction industry, following the evacuation of the Opal Tower in Olympic Park at Christmas 2018.
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