Vacant lots and overgrown blocks near busy train stations and popular shops could sit idle for several decades.
But there’s a 30-year plan in place for the under-utilised spaces.
The NSW government will require local councils to keep enough land planned and zoned for at least three decades of feasible housing.
Premier Chris Minns addressed the need to establish a long-term housing plan for Sydney at a State of the State address to an economic think tank on Wednesday.
“The reason we have to keep building is that so future generations won’t feel compelled to pack their bags at the prime of their life and leave Sydney or other parts of New South Wales for somewhere else,” the premier told the Committee for Economic Development of Australia event.
“If a builder looks at a project and it doesn’t stack up financially, even if it’s permitted under the zoning plans, they won’t build it.
“Young people need a future in this city, so we need to keep going.”
Mr Minns said he recognised some councils were intentionally obstructive and attempted to bluff the system to avoid building their share of the city’s housing.
“It will stop more cynical councils paying lip service to governments, stakeholders and residents … while artfully rezoning parts of their local government area, knowing that at the end of the day it will never economically stack up to build there,” Mr Minns said.
The construction industry is wary about how co-operative councils will be with the government’s new initiatives.
“Last time councils were asked to prepare strategic plans, some of them took 10 years to complete the work. The results were disappointing, to say the least.” said Paul Waterhouse, the acting chief executive of property developer advocacy group Urban Taskforce.
“Long-term strategic planning through the Sydney Plan is welcome. It just cannot fall prey to the delay and obstruction tactics traditionally used by anti-development local politicians to oppose progress.”
Two protesters bypassed official channels and stormed the stage at a Q&A session to demand “no more coal” and were promptly removed by security.
The premier said in his speech the government had received criticism for lengthening the life of the Eraring coal-fired power station but there was “no other way of managing the energy transition without disastrous blackouts”.
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