Kiama Municipal Council has released an updated draft Local Housing Strategy for public feedback.
The Council says the updated draft follows extensive feedback during a first round of consultation on the original draft, as well as an independent review.
The new draft Local Housing Strategy takes into account submissions received, the recommendations of the review and the NSW Government’s housing strategy guidelines, said Council Director Planning, Environment & Communities, Edward Paterson.
Mr Paterson says the Strategy articulates where, how and why growth will occur within our municipality, and the need to carefully and appropriately manage this growth.
“A Local Housing Strategy is essential for a considered approach to development in our municipality, ensuring that proposals put forward are evaluated using an established set of planning criteria,” he said.
“We are currently dealing with many significant development proposals being put to Council in an ad hoc way.
“We need to get this strategy established to allow Council and our community to have both hands on the steering wheel when it comes to what our towns and villages look like in the future.”
Mr Paterson said a Local Housing Strategy, endorsed by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing & Infrastructure, reduces the ability for developers to potentially bypass council by lodging rezoning reviews with the NSW Government’s Southern Regional Planning Panel.
The Housing Strategy will also ensure that the required supporting infrastructure such as roads, schools and parks are planned, funded and delivered, he said.
The draft Local Housing Strategy is on public exhibition from 21 February until 22 April.
View the Strategy and make a submission here: yoursay.kiama.nsw.gov.au/local-housing-strategy.
