HOUSING availability is an ongoing challenge for the region, with areas suffering from a lack of rental properties and affordable housing options.

The popularity of Port Stephens and the Myall Coast as a seachange and treechange destination is undeniable and COVID-19 has accelerated the migration from the cities as people have embraced working from home.

An independent report reflecting the community’s experiences of housing and the planning system in regional NSW has been released by the NSW Government.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin said the Regional Housing Taskforce report includes feedback from community members and councils from Hunter.

“I welcome the independent findings by the Regional Housing Taskforce and am pleased to see the views of the Hunter expressed in the report,” Mr Martin said.

“Particularly around the challenges of housing diversity, shortage of rental properties, infrastructure alignment and sequencing, affordable housing incentives and requirements and the cost of development.”

Anyone that has been looking for rental properties in Port Stephens knows that properties are hard to find and some long term tenants have been squeezed out of the market with owners opting for the higher returns of offering properties for holiday rentals.

“Our community is a unique part of regional NSW and it’s important the NSW Government considers the needs of the Hunter when it delivers its policy.”

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the report details feedback from consultation with more than 500 people across regional NSW.

“The Regional Housing Taskforce’s report gives us a clear picture of the unique factors affecting housing in each regional community, and I want to thank every person who took part for their contributions,” Mr Stokes said.

“The report confirms COVID-19 has accelerated an existing trend of people moving from the city to the bush, and this has had an acute impact on regional housing markets.

“The findings tell us what regional communities need to better support their housing needs and I look forward to receiving the taskforce’s detailed recommendations in October.”

The key issues raised in the findings report include: the need for greater prioritisation on the coordination and delivery of infrastructure to support new homes; the need for collaboration between all levels of Government, the housing development industry and the community to develop the right type of housing where people need it; calls to speed up planning processes and reduce duplication, particularly where opportunities to provide housing are time-critical; and addressing the demand for more affordable and diverse housing in line with changing demographics, jobs growth, natural disasters, and migration trends.

The Regional Housing Taskforce will now prepare recommendations for the NSW Government to consider in October.

 

By Marian SAMPSON