The progress of an urgent cross-government audit aimed at identifying public land for housing development has stalled, leaving the government without a single site approved after nine months.
NSW Lands and Property Minister Steve Kamper has faced criticism for his handling of the situation during Budget Estimates on Tuesday, as he was unable to provide a timeline for when the scheme might progress.
“I can’t give you a date for when a house is going to be built,” Mr Kamper said. “This questioning is just unreasonable.”
The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that the audit, initiated in May by NSW Premier Chris Minns, was designed to alleviate the housing supply crisis.
Despite claims that the audit would be completed within months, officials revealed that out of 4,300 sites reviewed, only 300 progressed to a due diligence stage.
The Lands and Property Minister dodged questions about the audit’s future and its relation to other housing initiatives, further fuelling criticism from the opposition.
The opposition planning spokesman, Scott Farlow labelled the audit “shambles,” highlighting the government’s failure to identify suitable land for development.
“We’re now nine months down the track, and the government has failed to identify a single parcel of land that could be developed for housing,” Mr Farlow said.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald.
