Mr GREG WARREN (Campbelltown) (12:50): I am delighted to make a contribution to debate on the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Affordable Housing) Bill 2024. I thank the member for Newtown for bringing the bill before the House. While the Government does not support it at this time, I acknowledge the member's passion and her reasoning for introducing the bill. Ultimately it is motivated by the serious issue of homelessness in New South Wales, particularly in Sydney and in the electorate of Newtown. I acknowledge that motivation, good intent and goodwill in that space.
I listened with interest to the contributions of those opposite and I will go into more detail on that in a moment. We have heard numerous contributions in this place on housing development. I acknowledge the planning Minister and his staff and thank them for their preparation in response to the bill. I note the shadow Minister's contribution. The reality is people in New South Wales are in this situation largely because of the ignorance and opaque means of the former Government. The former Government is not to blame for everything; I do not suggest that. I have a realistic view. There are market challenges out there with a number of other contributing challenges. But, at the end of the day, it was the NSW Liberals who had the reins when it came to housing delivery.
I have lived with that challenge in my electorate, which is a growth area, as you know, as the member for Sydney, Mr Temporary Speaker. You have been to Campbelltown a couple of times. The southern areas, from Appin Road towards the Illawarra, are developing areas that were put on hold for a long time, which in turn held up investment and infrastructure. It held up the installation of the important and desperately needed koala crossings—so that our precious koalas do not get run over—along the Appin Road. The ongoing effects are still being felt. But there is progress. Work has now started on the Appin Road. There are now adequate approvals in areas so that people can get in the market. That has been under the Minister's watch and that of his team. I thank him for his collaborative approach with me and my community while we navigate the balance between housing and essential infrastructure delivery with environmental preservation and koala habitat conservation.
Members know of the legacy of former Government members, and I will not carry on any more about them. I now understand why they were so against delivering housing: It must be the application process that they struggled with. Perhaps any application process where they had to fill out paperwork is too confusing for the NSW Liberals. It is interesting that a motion was moved in the other place that would have totally abolished the Government's Transport Oriented Development Program and meant that the State would miss out on 175,000 houses. That is 175,000 homes for people. Members know exactly where Opposition members stand on that issue. Members know exactly where the member for Newtown stands, which is in an honourable position addressing serious issues.
In summary, the bill seeks to amend the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act [EP&A Act] and the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 to transfer the definition of "affordable housing" from the State environmental planning policies into the Act and to retain affordable housing in perpetuity. The bill also seeks to create a register of affordable housing across the State, to keep track of all of the affordable homes that exist and are being built, and requires that the register be established through the EP&A Act under the responsibility of the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces.
Both of those things are good in theory. However, there is a concern within the Government that theory and reality are not always aligned in this circumstance. In the real world, wishing does not make it so. Government members take into account the advice of the people who have to implement this, which is ultimately why we have landed in the position that we have on this matter, among other matters. The unintended consequences of the bill could lead to further unnecessary complexity to the planning system, which the Minister is progressively and proactively working on to address. The feedback I get from the industry is that the opaque system that has been in place for a long time has led to the serious shortfall of housing, resulting in inflated prices and affordability issues. I note the commentary from those opposite about affordability. The reason the market is currently so inflated is because of the lack of supply that occurred for over a decade and possibly beyond. When you reduce supply, you inflate the market. The Government now has to play catch-up everywhere, no matter how dense the area.
Density planning around the transport corridor is a good thing. I draw on the example of Macarthur station in my electorate. With Macarthur Square, the university and the TAFE close by, it is the perfect location. A lot of the people who would move into the units currently being assessed by Campbelltown council would be university students. The location attracts international students. The hospital is just a few hundred metres away. A lot of it is affordable development as well. That is something that I truly welcome. I had a briefing from Landcom the other day. I will leave that process for Landcom to go through, but I appreciate the information. The Government will work with council and any stakeholder, because New South Wales needs homes, but it needs them in the right place.
The other good thing about density around the train station is that building up, which the community accepts, removes the pressure to bulldoze trees to the south of the electorate, and that is a good thing. The Government does not want to do that unless it is essential. But it is essential to build roads and houses, and sometimes trees are in the way. It is truly disappointing to have that circumstance, but the reality is the Government has to move on because the market says it has to. The more dwellings are built around the transport corridors, the more pressure to bulldoze trees and other sensitive environmental areas is removed. That is a serious concern for me and our communities. It is also a serious concern for the Government and the Minister. It gets back to what I was referring to, which is about finding the balance between conserving the environment and habitats while also delivering houses for the thousands of young people and others trying to get into the market.
My children happen to be a couple of those young fellas trying to get into the market. They are struggling at this time for a few reasons: first, the homes are not there; and, second, they cannot afford them, which comes down to supply. Again, that is the objective that the member for Newtown is ultimately trying to achieve. Almost all members in this place are trying to achieve that too. But it is a light on the hill moment. We want to get to the light on the hill, but how do we get there? The how is where the Government varies with the member for Newtown and other crossbench members. But we all agree and are on the same page that we need do everything we can to address the issue.
The Minister and the Government is working with The Greens and the crossbench and anyone else who wants to find better solutions. That is because, as I have repeatedly stated, the best outcomes are achieved in this place when we work together. That is what the Government wants to do. I know not every member in this place feels that way, but thankfully the majority of members do subscribe to that approach to achieve a better outcome. I note that some of the planning and development going on around the west and south-west has not been complemented with adequate preservations and investment in infrastructure. Again, we need to play catch-up. [Extension of time]
The areas around the north-west or the south-west or the far west of Sydney have been weathering the housing storm without adequate infrastructure. Previously, we saw more housing with more road tolls and no infrastructure or investment. That is the frustration of the people of west and south-west Sydney. When I make my representations as the Parliamentary Secretary for Western Sydney, working with the Deputy Premier and the good Minister for Western Sydney, that is the overwhelming feedback that we receive. The reality is that that is not going to change overnight. The Minister rightfully referred to some of the positive steps that have been put in place and the results that the Government has achieved in a short time.
It is heartbreaking to visit our communities and see hardship and homelessness. There are many different reasons for homelessness, but one reason is because people cannot afford to live in a home. Many of those people earn a good living from great occupations and they still cannot afford it, particularly those escaping domestic violence. The Government's position on reducing homelessness in the recent budget is a very positive step forward. I have drifted away from the bill, but this is all relevant. At the end of the day, it is all about supply. A lack of supply causes a whole heap of other problems, like market inflation and homelessness. I know that the Temporary Speaker works hard for his constituents in the CBD and around his electorate. It is heartbreaking but, thankfully, the member for Sydney is working hard to support them.
Going back to the Minister's contribution, I give credit to the Minister and his team for working proactively. The Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and Public Spaces is in the Chamber with me today. He also works very hard. As a former mayor of Blacktown he worked very hard on local council—but we will not talk about local councils. We will not go there. We have already debated that. But he knows, as a member in Western Sydney and a former mayor in Western Sydney, the ongoing plight of families and businesses. There is a significant variance between a good development and a development. This Government, the Minister and his team are focused on delivering good developments that not only build houses but also build communities. That is a variance in itself. It is one thing to construct a building or a house but it is a totally different objective to build a community. That is why it is important to stay engaged with stakeholders and to maintain a good relationship with the local government sector and the developing communities that need support.
It is not that people do not like change; they get scared of change and what they do not understand. It is important to give people the right information. For me, as a local member, I am truly committed to making sure that I am making representations consistent with the community's needs, dreams and aspirations. That is for existing residents and also for future residents because future residents, like existing residents, want to live in a good community and enjoy the lifestyle that the residents of Campbelltown, like myself, have enjoyed for many years. That will only happen with a strong contribution and commitment from a government that understands that we need supply. People do not want to live in trees or caves. We need to live in houses. While we continue to want to live in houses, we have to build them. That is just the market reality. That is a fact of any society and community.
Mr Clayton Barr: There are only so many caves out there.
Mr GREG WARREN: We have a lot in Campbelltown. I am happy to take the member for Cessnock through them all. He makes a very good point. My electorate in Campbelltown has the very proud people of the Dharawal. I note the Bull Cave and the sensitivities of Aboriginal preservation in those sacred sites. I spend a lot of time in the Dharawal National Park, engaging with country and particularly with my own Aboriginal heritage from my late grandmother, who was a Yuin woman. I did not have much connection with my Aboriginal heritage when I was growing up but I certainly enjoy it as I get older, and I enjoy it most through the Dharawal. I thank the member for Newtown and acknowledge her passion. I appreciate her bringing the bill before the House today.
