New South Wales urban planning targets major housing density increases

New urban planning initiatives in New South Wales are set to significantly alter the residential landscape of Shellharbour and Sydney. In Shellharbour, rezoning proposals for the City Centre and the New Shellharbour Hospital Precinct could unlock up to 11,700 new homes and 1,750 jobs. While the Property Council of Australia has welcomed the plans as a step toward the Illawarra Shoalhaven Regional Plan, Shellharbour Mayor Chris Homer has emphasized that infrastructure and road upgrades must keep pace with this growth.

Simultaneously, the Sydney Plan indicates a major shift toward high-density living. Projections suggest Sydney will see an increase in apartment dwellings from 1.7 million in 2021 to 2.8 million by 2046, with apartments expected to account for over 50 per cent of all dwellings. This transition aims to create a more urban character, concentrating housing growth in the east near existing infrastructure and distributing jobs toward the west.