Clover Moore The Lord Mayor of Sydney presented a Minute at the CoS Council meeting on October 27th 2025 addressing housing quality and affordability. The CoS states that NSW Government’s Environmental Planning and Assessment (Planning System Reforms) Bill 2025 is the most consequential change to the planning system in a generation that aims to accelerate and increase housing supply. The City must actively monitor the impacts of the planning changes and continue to strongly advocate to protect our communities.
“We are in a housing affordability crisis, which makes owning or renting in Sydney incredibly difficult or out of reach for many, particularly for the essential workers that we all rely on. The problem is particularly acute in the inner city. That’s why for many years the City of Sydney has been at the forefront of housing delivery and is a champion for increased density.
Since 2004, the City has approved over 33,750 development applications, resulting in more than 66,000 new homes. These aren’t just numbers, they are vibrant, successful communities that have been carefully planned alongside the delivery of infrastructure and services.
Council has previously raised concerns about the NSW Government’s new Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) and its impact on our area. The community is also extremely concerned about developers’ ability to bypass the City’s assessment and our longstanding strategic plans. These plans are agreed to by the community and development is underway in areas like Alexandria, Erskineville and Green Square – Australia’s largest urban renewal area – demonstrating how we plan for growth responsibly and how density can be done well.” she stated.
Read the motion in full. The motion was passed unanimously.
