Sydney’s Inner West Council has approved an ambitious housing plan that could deliver up to 30,000 new homes over the next 15 years, following a series of amendments to balance growth with community concerns.
The Our Fairer Future plan aims to deliver between 20,000 and 30,000 new homes while ensuring development is more evenly distributed across the area. The plan was endorsed by councillors after revisions that reduced proposed density in key suburbs including Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, and Ashfield, cutting approximately 5,000 homes from earlier versions.
The council will also work in partnership with the NSW government to deliver up to 8,000 additional homes along the Parramatta Road corridor, as part of efforts to ensure what Mayor Darcy Byrne (pictured) described as a “fairer distribution of development,” the Property Council reported.
As part of the plan, the council voted to establish a new community infrastructure fund worth about $500 million to support growth across the Inner West.
Byrne said the plan was about ensuring the next generation could continue to live in the community.
“Our Fairer Future plan will stop the exodus of young people and essential workers from the Inner West and make sure that in the decades to come our children and grandchildren can have a home in the community they love,” Byrne said.
He said community input had shaped the final proposal.
“Importantly, we have listened to our community and have acted to reduce the density of new homes in Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, and Ashfield, by redistributing some of it to the Parramatta Road corridor,” Byrne said.
Cotality’s Executive Research Director Tim Lawless said there remains “a clear disconnect between demand and supply” across Sydney, where population growth and slow construction approvals continue to push prices higher.
The Our Fairer Future strategy includes a range of initiatives to boost social and affordable housing – described by Byrne as “a local government first.”
“This plan also includes unprecedented initiatives to build social housing on council owned carparks and land owned by churches and faith-based charities,” he said.
“We are also proposing a compact with the NSW government to deliver 1,000 new social housing dwellings over 10 years and replicating the City of Sydney’s policy for affordable housing contributions from private development.”
Council analysis also found that while some groups had called for higher affordability targets, evidence suggested they would make development unfeasible.
“We examined carefully proposals for up to 30% affordable housing contributions from private development and the evidence and economic modelling showed this would have required skyscrapers throughout the Inner West in order to be feasible,” Byrne said.
“Instead, we have adopted a plan that will provide desperately needed new homes without destroying the heritage and character of our neighbourhoods.”
Under the plan, key initiatives include:
The Property Council of Australia welcomed the move, calling it an important step toward meeting housing supply targets set under the National Housing Accord.
The council said the strategy “represents an ambitious commitment to meet or exceed the housing targets set by the NSW government,” which could deliver 20,000 to 30,000 new homes over the next 15 years.
For brokers, the Inner West’s housing acceleration plan highlights growing development and finance opportunities across Sydney’s middle-ring suburbs. With prices still rising amid record-low listings, first-home buyer and developer lending demand is likely to strengthen as councils work to unlock more supply.
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