The peak body for local government in New South Wales is seeking details of the decisions made by the newly established housing authority.
Last week it was announced that the Housing Delivery Authority – an independent body that bypasses councils in order to fast-track larger-scale development approvals – has received almost 100 proposals with the potential of providing more than 40,000 homes across the state.
“Worryingly, there is no public detail about any of these proposals apart from the fact that 85 [expressions of interest] are in metropolitan areas and 11 are in regional NSW,” said LGNSW president Phyllis Miller.
LGNSW is requesting that the HDA publish updates online which include:
- the locations of all EOI applications received
- the decision of the HDA, the date of this decision and reasons for the decision.
“Publishing a statement about the projects that have been accepted and declined would provide transparency about what factors differentiated approvals from rejections. It would also help to build and maintain public trust in the process,” said Miller in a letter to Planning Minister Paul Scully.
“In the interests of transparency and good government,” LGNSW is also requesting that the progress and outcomes for each development is made publicly available – from HDA decision, to assessment, approval and through to building commencement, completion and occupation.
“LGNSW acknowledges the commitment from your department to transparency in this process and we note the assurances that this transparency is what delineates the HDA from past practices,” said Miller. “It is reasonable for impacted councils and our communities to expect clarity around this information. Planning proposals, particularly of this scale, should not be submitted to governments in secret.”
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