“We cautiously
welcome the big picture approach to employment, housing, transport and the
environment, that this Metropolitan Strategy emphasises,” said NCOSS Director,
Gary Moore.
“NCOSS supports
the aim of locating 60% -70% of new dwellings and roughly the same proportion
of new jobs in existing centres and corridors across the metropolitan area.”
“But we know that
unless the NSW Government is prepared to require that at least 30% of the new
housing in these areas is made available for the bottom end of home purchasers,
the majority of private renters and new social housing tenants, Sydney will
become an even less fair place to live over the next 25 years.”
“To his credit,
the Premier has established a high level Affordable Housing Committee and has
stated in City of Cities that various planning mechanisms will now be examined
to achieve affordable housing results.”
“If he has the
political will, then affordable housing targets can be worked out and sit
alongside the employment targets already set in the document. And his Committee
can identify genuine options to finance affordable housing when it reports in
June 2006.”
“This will be
critical if targets like 95,000 new dwellings and 35,000 new jobs for the
Bankstown, Fairfield, Holroyd, Auburn and Parramatta corridor are to be
reached.”
“Whilst City of
Cities recognises the key need to provide enough housing for an ageing
population and people with disabilities, it does not lay out detailed options
for achieving a successful supply of adaptable housing in the future.”
“Similarly, the
document notes the importance of having enough capital and recurrent spending
for new health, education, child care and other community facilities to match
the population growth in both existing centres and suburbs and Greenfield
sites.”
“However, it
proposes no specific measures to guarantee the funds (especially for the
operation of new health centres, pre schools etc), leaving it to the vagaries
of the annual State Budget process.”
“And whilst the
Government has placed job creation as a high priority in this Metropolitan
Strategy, it has done little as yet to align the needs of the unemployed and
under employed with the locations and types of jobs that will need to be
generated.”
Media Contact:
Gary
Moore, Director, NCOSS