The Property Council of Australia has welcomed plans to transform a surplus government site in Sydney’s inner west into hundreds of new homes, including 220 discounted build-to-rent apartments for essential workers.
The NSW government revealed concept designs for the former WestConnex dive site in Annandale, which will deliver a mix of housing near jobs, health services, and transport. The project includes one of the largest allocations of affordable rental apartments for key workers seen in the city to date.
The announcement follows record-high higher-density housing approvals in NSW, with 24,716 new dwellings approved in the year to May – outpacing Victoria. It also comes after the 2025–26 NSW budget, which the Property Council called a “practical and forward-looking” response to housing delivery and planning reform.
Property Council NSW executive director Katie Stevenson (pictured) said the Annandale project reflects the kind of ambition needed to confront Sydney’s housing affordability crisis – particularly for essential workers.
“Our essential workers are being pushed to the city’s edges – or out of Sydney altogether – because they simply can’t afford to live near the jobs and services we all rely on,” Stevenson said.
“This project is a great start and reflects the kind of ambition we need to see in unlocking more government land for housing — we need dozens more like it across the city.”
The newly released master plan includes 220 build-to-rent homes for key workers and approximately 357 additional units, including market housing and a portion of affordable dwellings.
“We would welcome further clarity on the proportion of affordable housing to be delivered and how this proposal contributes to the government’s target of delivering 30% social, affordable and universal housing across its property portfolio, to give industry the clarity it needs to partner on solutions,” Stevenson said.
The Property Council’s Beyond Reach research, released in November 2023, revealed that even dual-income essential worker households earning above the average often face housing stress in Greater Sydney. Single-income essential workers are, in most areas, effectively priced out of both rental and ownership options.
“Projects like Annandale show what’s possible when government takes the lead in unlocking underutilised land and backing innovative delivery models,” Stevenson said.
While welcoming the Annandale proposal, the Property Council urged the NSW government to maintain momentum and accelerate systemic reforms to unlock housing at scale.
“But the pipeline can’t end here. We need faster planning pathways to support the delivery of more affordable and essential worker housing, more land released, and a holistic rethink of the taxes and charges that make so many developments unviable,” Stevenson said.
The Property Council has called for a suite of policy reforms, including:
