Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully, Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley, local MPs and Lake Macquarie Mayor Adam Shultz will tackle the housing crisis head-on on Thursday at the inaugural Lake Macquarie Housing Forum.
The 3 April event at Belmont 16s will bring together peak industry stakeholders, including affordable housing providers, development industry experts and government agencies to identify ways to improve housing affordability and increase housing stock in Lake Macquarie.
The forum will also hear from speakers and experts from a range of fields to inspire discussion and innovative ideas.
Mayor Adam said the city's population was expected to grow from 220,000 to more than 260,000 over the next 20 years.
"That will create demand for almost 19,000 new homes," he said.
"Now is the time to find solutions to that challenge, and the Lake Macquarie Housing Forum will lay the foundation for future action."
"This was one of my first commitments to the Lake Macquarie community after I was elected as Mayor and it's exciting to see it happening."
"Getting all the key players in the room means we can flesh out what the different levels of government and other stakeholders can do to expedite processes and overcome the barriers preventing us from reaching our housing goals."
Large parts of Lake Macquarie are earmarked for significant growth over the next few decades, including the North West Catalyst Area – taking in Cardiff, Glendale, Cockle Creek, Boolaroo, Speers Point and Teralba, and the city's south-west.
The city's south-west precinct, taking in Morisset, Cooranbong and surrounds, is cited in the NSW Government's Hunter Regional Plan 2041 as the most important growth area across the Hunter Region and Central Coast.
At the end of February, the NSW Government announced further reforms to encourage more low and mid-rise housing in well-located and serviced areas including centres like Belmont and Boolaroo.
They follow on from the government's Transport Oriented Development Program (TOD) to create higher density housing supply around Booragul, Cardiff, Cockle Creek, Morisset and Teralba train stations.
"While the state government has already taken steps to address housing challenges, I look forward to hearing from stakeholders at the forum and having a sensible, constructive conversation about what else we can do to grow our city efficiently and effectively," Mayor Adam Shultz said.
Key representatives from a diverse range of organisations will be attending the Lake Macquarie Housing Forum, including:
- Development industry peak bodies
- Neighbouring councils
- Community, social and emergency housing providers
- Key local builders and developers
- Government agencies
- Development and planning consultants
- Commercial and financing organisations.
Quotes attributable to NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully:
"The NSW Government has introduced planning reforms to help deliver more housing right across the state, and Lake Macquarie City Council has been right there alongside us finding opportunities to deliver more homes in their area.
"Not only has Lake Macquarie City Council been supportive of our planning reforms, they've been a leader in local government, pushing a strong housing platform.
"All levels of government and the community need to come together to address the growing need for more homes, and forums like this are a great opportunity to chart the path to a sustainable and affordable future."
Quotes attributable to Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley:
"We know Lake Macquarie is expected to grow considerably in the next 20 years. We hear the community and understand the challenges that come with that growth – more businesses, increased demand for infrastructure, and greater pressure on housing.
"We're taking action now to address housing concerns and ensure Lake Macquarie is ready for the future, because everyone deserves a place they can call home.
"This forum is an opportunity for your views to be heard, for all levels of government to listen and act and I look forward to it."
