NSW Government is currently exhibiting two strategic planning documents that will guide land use planning as NSW and the Greater Sydney area continue to grow. The intent of those plans is to provide a clearer and more coordinated approach to guide development, protect the environment, plan for infrastructure investment, and make sure the right homes are delivered in the right places, close to jobs and transport.

‘A New Approach to Strategic Planning: Discussion Paper’ and the draft ‘Sydney Plan’ are open for public comment until 27 February. We encourage Shelter NSW members and stakeholders to provide feedback directly to government.

The new strategic planning approach to guide land use planning across NSW proposes a simpler, three-tiered planning framework and seven statewide priorities to set the right balance between planning for jobs and industrial land, housing, protecting the environment and delivering new and improved infrastructure and public space. The draft Sydney plan, prepared in accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) (EP&A Act) is a key part of managing growth across the state. Once finalised, it will replace the now obsolete Greater Sydney Region Plan – A Metropolis of Three Cities (2018) and associated district plans.

Shelter NSW strongly welcomes the renewed focus of NSW Government on strategic planning, housing delivery, and ensuring that growth is well managed and equitably distributed across the state. We strongly support reform of strategic planning to avoid duplication and overlap of strategic plans and ensure that development is planned properly to deliver wide socio-economic benefits with significant community input.

We are concerned, however, to see that consultation on strategic planning is being undertaken after major legislative changes to the EP&A Act were made in December through the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Planning System Reforms) Act 2025 (Amendment Act). Those changes should have been made after significant consultation on the planning system, with community, not before, and we share some of the concerns expressed by the Environmental Defender’s Office (EDO) regarding the shift of the objects of the Act away from protecting the wellbeing of community and the environment towards simply promoting development, as well as enhancing the potential for corruption.

While strategic planning documents are by nature general and high level, we are also cautious of high-level announcements of supporting ‘housing diversity’ and ‘more affordable housing’. We know what works when it comes to improving housing affordability; that is, building more social housing and clear, strong regulation of the private rental market and new housing development.

Shelter NSW strongly welcomes the announcement that every local government area in Greater Sydney must have an Affordable Housing Contribution Scheme (AHCS) in place by 2027. We have been advocating strongly and working with numerous councils on developing meaningful, efficient AHCS, and are glad to see the results of our strong advocacy on this matter. But we must make sure that levels of contributions are set at a meaningful level and that councils are supported strongly by state government to develop and implement well-functioning, efficient schemes (and that a highest common denominator approach is taken when local schemes ‘compete’ with state level policies).

As usual, we warn against the ‘supply-at-all-cost-and-hope-for-the-best’ approach and call for significant investment in social housing as a first line response to housing affordability pressures.

We will share Shelter NSW’s full submission with members and stakeholders after we submit it to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.