Planning expert, Garry Fielding, will chair the Regional Housing Taskforce, and will commence work immediately, NSW Premier John Barilaro has announced.
The taskforce is aimed at combatting housing shortages and issues in regional areas.
“With the pandemic transforming the way we live and work, we’ve seen a noticeable shift in people leaving cities for a sea change or tree change in the regions,” Mr Barilaro said.
“But with that, prices are escalating. This is why we’ve set up this taskforce to provide independent advice to deliver more housing throughout the State.”
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Rob Stokes said Mr Fielding would consult with the public and key stakeholders to identify the constraints to housing supply, diversity and affordability in the regions and deliver his report to government in September.
“We’ve asked Mr Fielding to examine the obstacles in the planning system preventing new housing being brought to market in the regions, and to identify solutions that will boost supply and encourage greater housing choice,” Mr Stokes said.
“Mr Fielding’s recommendations will allow us to partner with willing councils on new ways on planning and delivery more housing opportunities in our thriving regions.”
Minister for Housing, Melinda Pavey welcomed the appointment to build on the work done to date under the NSW Government’s Housing Strategy 2041.
“Mr Fielding has a demonstrated track record of achieving results in planning,” Ms Pavey said.
“For more than 40 years, he has had extensive experience as a town planner at both a state and local level, the latter in senior executive roles in city and regional councils.”
Mr Fielding is a qualified town planner with more than 40 years’ experience in State and local government and the private sector. He has worked at senior executive levels with the NSW Department of Planning and also as head planner with Newcastle, Woollahra and Maitland councils.
He is a Life Fellow and former NSW President of the Planning Institute of Australia and is the State appointed Chair of the Western Regional Planning Panel.
For more information and to submit feedback visit Regional Housing Taskforce.
