The state government has been accused of “postcode discrimination’’ over the way it determines housing targets in Greater Sydney.
“It seems that the housing targets are disproportionally allocated across the local government areas of Greater Sydney,’’ says the mayor of Wollondilly, Matt Gould.
“Some local government areas in the Eastern Suburbs are only required to provide a few hundred homes, while others on the very fringes of Greater Sydney are expected to provide housing in the thousands, without even being provided the most basic infrastructure to support that kind of population,’’ he said.
“It is not only the total number of homes that is concerning, it is the disproportionately low share of resourcing, funding and infrastructure being provided to support these growing communities.
“It’s nothing short of postcode discrimination.
“This needs to be done better by the State Government.’’
Mr Gould said his council had delivered its share of the regional growth needs of Greater Sydney in Wilton.
However, the State Government is now looking to push further housing delivery in Greater Macarthur, while other local government areas that haven’t come close to delivering on their targets have vastly better access to services and infrastructure.
“Our residents have had a gutful of the state government and developers constantly promising desperately needed infrastructure if we accept more growth and time and time again the houses arrive and the infrastructure just never materialises,’’ he said.
“We shouldn’t have to accept this, especially when other local government areas are not delivering their fair share.’’
Mr Gould is calling on the government to halt any plans for development at Appin as part of a major housing expansion south west of Sydney.
“Council has a clear vision that the focus of our housing growth will be in the existing growth area at Wilton (pictured),’’ he said.
“Given that we are meeting our housing targets, I am also calling on the State Government to halt plans for premature development at Appin, or any other area of the Shire where it is inconsistent with council’s vision.
“I am very concerned that the state government is trying to rush through a quick rezoning of that area to the detriment of our existing communities and Shire residents.
“There simply is not the infrastructure to support the growth we’ve already had thrust on us, let alone any additional growth.”
