The NSW state government has announced sweeping planning reforms it claims will address the housing crisis by fast-tracking the construction of new homes. Touted as the largest rezoning initiative in the state’s history, the reforms include a new approval pathway that removes councils from decision-making processes for some major residential projects. 

While the government insists these changes will expedite housing delivery and alleviate cost-of-living pressures, the move has sparked widespread backlash from councils and community advocates.

Under the reforms, set to take effect in early 2025, development proposals meeting certain criteria will no longer require council approval. Instead, they will be assessed by a new Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) within the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. This unprecedented power shift has raised concerns about the potential for inappropriate developments, reduced community input, and diminished local oversight.

At the Local Government Conference in Tamworth last month, more than 500 council delegates condemned the changes. Delegates voiced alarm at the erosion of local government powers, arguing that the reforms cater to developers at the expense of communities diminishing their ability to influence planning decisions in their community.

Councillor Mary Lyons-Buckett said she had grave concerns over the announcement, calling it another blow to local democracy.  

“The proposed changes reduce local input and community voices even further as this presents another in a long line of changes favouring developers over local people,” she said. “Further erosion of local democracy.”  

Councillor Nathan Zamprogno was also critical of the plans. “The Liberal State Government took away the people’s control, through the elected Chamber, over assessing D.A’s back in 2017, but we still had some control over the approval of some larger proposals like the large scale housing developments proposed west of the river. Now Chris Minns wants to to fast-track developments without any democratic accountability at all.”

The reforms will establish a state-led approval pathway for housing developments exceeding $60 million in Greater Sydney or $30 million in regional NSW, translating to projects averaging 100 homes and 40 homes respectively. The government asserts this will streamline the process by allowing rezonings and development assessments to occur simultaneously, reducing approval times by years.  

The Premier defended the changes as a bold step toward solving the housing crisis.  

“The Minns Government is doing everything in its power to tackle the housing crisis and encourage developers to build and boost housing supply and overall affordability,” he said.  “These latest reforms mean the State is taking control of major housing projects so that they have the attention they deserve and get through the assessment process much faster.”  

Critics argue that the reforms prioritise developers’ interests over community needs. By sidelining councils, opponents fear that communities will lose the ability to shape their neighborhoods and protect against overdevelopment. The removal of council oversight, they say, risks allowing unsuitable projects to proceed unchecked.  

Delegates at the Tamworth conference also warned that the fast-tracking process, while aimed at reducing bureaucracy, could undermine critical safeguards and result in poorly planned developments. Many expressed frustration that the state government continues to centralise power, leaving local councils with less ability to represent the communities they represent.  

Despite government assurances that the reforms will alleviate councils’ workloads by removing complex applications, opponents remain skeptical. “This is about more than just streamlining processes it’s the government caving in once again to the powerful property lobby group,” one delegate said. “ We need to be ensuring communities have a say in how their towns and cities evolve.”  

The Housing Delivery Authority, a key pillar of the reforms, will include senior state officials such as Simon Draper, Secretary of the Premier’s Department; Kiersten Fishburn, Secretary of the Department of Planning; and Tom Gellibrand, CEO of Infrastructure NSW. The authority will oversee projects qualifying for the state-led approval pathway, with the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces serving as the ultimate consent authority.  

Proposals will be assessed on their merit with a “flexible approach” to planning controls, including incremental zoning changes. The government claims this dual process will remove barriers and deliver much-needed housing more quickly.  

“Proposals in this pathway will not be required to be considered by councils for development and will benefit from an approval timeline that is potentially reduced by years,” a statement from the government said.