UDIA NSW Welcomes acknowledgement of the importance of the Sydney megaregion
Yesterday’s official announcement by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet of a new Minister for Cities to head up the Greater Cities Commission, was welcomed by UDIA NSW, particularly due to the recognition by the NSW Government of the important contributions of the regional areas in the Sydney Megaregion – from the Illawarra to the Hunter to the State’s economic growth.
“UDIA NSW has led the conversation on the Sydney megaregion, focusing our advocacy on this powerful conurbation and its ability to grow and deliver 30- minute cities. Greater Sydney plus Wollongong, Newcastle and the Central Coast represent 80% of the state’s population and where housing supply is at a critical point,” said Steve Mann, CEO, UDIA NSW.
“Our regional conurbation should be modelled on global examples such as the Kansai Region of Japan the Yangtze River Delta in China and the Randstaad in the Netherlands with Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague and Utrecht. This greater connected region has the potential to support a population of over 7-8 million within 15-20 years, if we commit to fast train public transport linking Sydney to its surrounding cities, positioning the conurbation as a world leading connected community, Mr Mann said.
“It is great to see the Premier’s acknowledgement of the importance of the Illawarra Shoalhaven, Hunter and Central Coast regions to the State’s economic potential. Government needs to make sure each region shapes its own future, even as they become more central to the overall considerations of NSW’s future. This new focus needs to be backed up with investment in infrastructure to clear the backlog of projects currently stymied by the historic under-funding in these regions, while setting up opportunities like fast rail to lift the bar across the east coast,” he added.
UDIA’s four UDIA NSW Building Blocks Reports (Greater Western Sydney, Hunter, Central Coast and Illawarra Shoalhaven) identified the need for critical enabling infrastructure with an investment of $1.3b to unblock 141,000 lots and would be a game changer for housing supply across the Sydney Megaregion and deliver $190bn of economic growth and 330,000 jobs. UDIA is keen to see the NSW government deliver the infrastructure that is needed to support growth in those areas.
UDIA will examine the remit of the Greater Cities Commission to ensure that the reorganisation doesn’t delay fixing the housing supply and affordability crisis and works to fix the current the biodiversity system. We will also seek clarity on the various roles and governance of the planning system that will result from this initiative. These are critical issues which UDIA raised in our submission on the NSW Regional Housing Taskforce review into housing affordability issues affecting the regions.
UDIA is pleased with the acknowledgment of the regional cities’ importance and looks forward to engaging collaboratively with the Minister and the GCC on behalf of our members and the development industry.
ENDS
Media Enquiries:
Deanna Lane 0416 295 898 or dlane@udiansw.com.au.
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