Dollar dazzler designs no silver bullet for housing woe

The Advertiser

4 days ago

Slick housing designs costing less than an ice cream are being deployed to get more homes built, but detractors have dubbed the promotion a "thirst trap".
The "pattern book" of low-rise designs including terraces, townhouses and manor houses could be ticked off for construction in 10 days.
The designs, whipped up by internationally renowned architects as part of a NSW government competition, will be available for $1 for the first six months.
They then rise to $1000, still well below the going rate.
The government estimates the designs would typically cost upwards of $20,000 if commissioned from an architect.
Premier Chris Minns has repeatedly blamed a sluggish planning system for poor progress on nationally agreed housing targets.
NSW has produced six houses per 1000 people each year compared with Victoria's eight and Queensland's 10, he said.
"Ask anybody for the last 20 years in NSW how frustrating it has been to get approval for a family home, they'll all say the same thing, it is impossible," Mr Minns told reporters on Wednesday.
"We are falling behind when it comes to new development completions, alongside the fact that we are one of the most expensive cities on earth."
The NSW scheme will have wider availability and lower up-front fees than a Victorian strategy which was limited to a single council area, Mr Minns said.
But acting Opposition Leader Damien Tudehope said the pattern book plans were governed by "glossy brochures".
"(It's) almost like a thirst trap," he told reporters.
"We have scantily clad people as part of the brochure."
Mr Tudehope questioned the claimed 10-day approval but said councils should tick off all types of housing faster.
The state remains behind its target to build 377,000 new homes by July 2029 under a national housing agreement.
The premier acknowledged in an address to the McKell Institute on Wednesday getting 75,000 homes off the ground each year remains a tall order.
But he didn't mind the challenge.
"It puts pressure on the government, and therefore pressure on local councils and pressure on developers and the Reserve Bank and everything to really start thinking," Mr Minns said.
The design plans coincide with the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing an increase in construction starts in the first three months of 2025.
More than 47,000 new home builds commenced in that time, a 17 per cent increase on the same period in 2024.
University of NSW architecture professor Philip Oldfield lauded the "high quality architectural designs" as a step towards expediting approvals.
But he warns governments need to be more ambitious and holistic to overcome "structural and endemic" issues stemming from tax policies and complex regulations.
"Everyone's looking for a silver bullet rather than actually planning for the future," he told AAP.
"The cost to build a home and the cost of the land is quite high ... so it's short-sighted to expect the private development model to solve all our problems."
The NSW government has allocated billions in recent budgets to build and refurbish social housing as well as helping private developers meet pre-sales targets and secure finance to build apartment buildings.
Building designers backed the release of the pattern book but called for more formal involvement in future iterations, saying architects design fewer than five per cent of residences in NSW.
"(Building designers) deliver the vast bulk of housing in NSW ... their input is essential," Building Designers Association of Australia chief executive Chris Knierim said.
Slick housing designs costing less than an ice cream are being deployed to get more homes built, but detractors have dubbed the promotion a "thirst trap".
The "pattern book" of low-rise designs including terraces, townhouses and manor houses could be ticked off for construction in 10 days.
The designs, whipped up by internationally renowned architects as part of a NSW government competition, will be available for $1 for the first six months.
They then rise to $1000, still well below the going rate.
The government estimates the designs would typically cost upwards of $20,000 if commissioned from an architect.
Premier Chris Minns has repeatedly blamed a sluggish planning system for poor progress on nationally agreed housing targets.
NSW has produced six houses per 1000 people each year compared with Victoria's eight and Queensland's 10, he said.
"Ask anybody for the last 20 years in NSW how frustrating it has been to get approval for a family home, they'll all say the same thing, it is impossible," Mr Minns told reporters on Wednesday.
"We are falling behind when it comes to new development completions, alongside the fact that we are one of the most expensive cities on earth."
The NSW scheme will have wider availability and lower up-front fees than a Victorian strategy which was limited to a single council area, Mr Minns said.
But acting Opposition Leader Damien Tudehope said the pattern book plans were governed by "glossy brochures".
"(It's) almost like a thirst trap," he told reporters.
"We have scantily clad people as part of the brochure."
Mr Tudehope questioned the claimed 10-day approval but said councils should tick off all types of housing faster.
The state remains behind its target to build 377,000 new homes by July 2029 under a national housing agreement.
The premier acknowledged in an address to the McKell Institute on Wednesday getting 75,000 homes off the ground each year remains a tall order.
But he didn't mind the challenge.
"It puts pressure on the government, and therefore pressure on local councils and pressure on developers and the Reserve Bank and everything to really start thinking," Mr Minns said.
The design plans coincide with the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing an increase in construction starts in the first three months of 2025.
More than 47,000 new home builds commenced in that time, a 17 per cent increase on the same period in 2024.
University of NSW architecture professor Philip Oldfield lauded the "high quality architectural designs" as a step towards expediting approvals.
But he warns governments need to be more ambitious and holistic to overcome "structural and endemic" issues stemming from tax policies and complex regulations.
"Everyone's looking for a silver bullet rather than actually planning for the future," he told AAP.
"The cost to build a home and the cost of the land is quite high ... so it's short-sighted to expect the private development model to solve all our problems."
The NSW government has allocated billions in recent budgets to build and refurbish social housing as well as helping private developers meet pre-sales targets and secure finance to build apartment buildings.
Building designers backed the release of the pattern book but called for more formal involvement in future iterations, saying architects design fewer than five per cent of residences in NSW.
"(Building designers) deliver the vast bulk of housing in NSW ... their input is essential," Building Designers Association of Australia chief executive Chris Knierim said.
Slick housing designs costing less than an ice cream are being deployed to get more homes built, but detractors have dubbed the promotion a "thirst trap".
The "pattern book" of low-rise designs including terraces, townhouses and manor houses could be ticked off for construction in 10 days.
The designs, whipped up by internationally renowned architects as part of a NSW government competition, will be available for $1 for the first six months.
They then rise to $1000, still well below the going rate.
The government estimates the designs would typically cost upwards of $20,000 if commissioned from an architect.
Premier Chris Minns has repeatedly blamed a sluggish planning system for poor progress on nationally agreed housing targets.
NSW has produced six houses per 1000 people each year compared with Victoria's eight and Queensland's 10, he said.
"Ask anybody for the last 20 years in NSW how frustrating it has been to get approval for a family home, they'll all say the same thing, it is impossible," Mr Minns told reporters on Wednesday.
"We are falling behind when it comes to new development completions, alongside the fact that we are one of the most expensive cities on earth."
The NSW scheme will have wider availability and lower up-front fees than a Victorian strategy which was limited to a single council area, Mr Minns said.
But acting Opposition Leader Damien Tudehope said the pattern book plans were governed by "glossy brochures".
"(It's) almost like a thirst trap," he told reporters.
"We have scantily clad people as part of the brochure."
Mr Tudehope questioned the claimed 10-day approval but said councils should tick off all types of housing faster.
The state remains behind its target to build 377,000 new homes by July 2029 under a national housing agreement.
The premier acknowledged in an address to the McKell Institute on Wednesday getting 75,000 homes off the ground each year remains a tall order.
But he didn't mind the challenge.
"It puts pressure on the government, and therefore pressure on local councils and pressure on developers and the Reserve Bank and everything to really start thinking," Mr Minns said.
The design plans coincide with the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing an increase in construction starts in the first three months of 2025.
More than 47,000 new home builds commenced in that time, a 17 per cent increase on the same period in 2024.
University of NSW architecture professor Philip Oldfield lauded the "high quality architectural designs" as a step towards expediting approvals.
But he warns governments need to be more ambitious and holistic to overcome "structural and endemic" issues stemming from tax policies and complex regulations.
"Everyone's looking for a silver bullet rather than actually planning for the future," he told AAP.
"The cost to build a home and the cost of the land is quite high ... so it's short-sighted to expect the private development model to solve all our problems."
The NSW government has allocated billions in recent budgets to build and refurbish social housing as well as helping private developers meet pre-sales targets and secure finance to build apartment buildings.
Building designers backed the release of the pattern book but called for more formal involvement in future iterations, saying architects design fewer than five per cent of residences in NSW.
"(Building designers) deliver the vast bulk of housing in NSW ... their input is essential," Building Designers Association of Australia chief executive Chris Knierim said.
Slick housing designs costing less than an ice cream are being deployed to get more homes built, but detractors have dubbed the promotion a "thirst trap".
The "pattern book" of low-rise designs including terraces, townhouses and manor houses could be ticked off for construction in 10 days.
The designs, whipped up by internationally renowned architects as part of a NSW government competition, will be available for $1 for the first six months.
They then rise to $1000, still well below the going rate.
The government estimates the designs would typically cost upwards of $20,000 if commissioned from an architect.
Premier Chris Minns has repeatedly blamed a sluggish planning system for poor progress on nationally agreed housing targets.
NSW has produced six houses per 1000 people each year compared with Victoria's eight and Queensland's 10, he said.
"Ask anybody for the last 20 years in NSW how frustrating it has been to get approval for a family home, they'll all say the same thing, it is impossible," Mr Minns told reporters on Wednesday.
"We are falling behind when it comes to new development completions, alongside the fact that we are one of the most expensive cities on earth."
The NSW scheme will have wider availability and lower up-front fees than a Victorian strategy which was limited to a single council area, Mr Minns said.
But acting Opposition Leader Damien Tudehope said the pattern book plans were governed by "glossy brochures".
"(It's) almost like a thirst trap," he told reporters.
"We have scantily clad people as part of the brochure."
Mr Tudehope questioned the claimed 10-day approval but said councils should tick off all types of housing faster.
The state remains behind its target to build 377,000 new homes by July 2029 under a national housing agreement.
The premier acknowledged in an address to the McKell Institute on Wednesday getting 75,000 homes off the ground each year remains a tall order.
But he didn't mind the challenge.
"It puts pressure on the government, and therefore pressure on local councils and pressure on developers and the Reserve Bank and everything to really start thinking," Mr Minns said.
The design plans coincide with the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing an increase in construction starts in the first three months of 2025.
More than 47,000 new home builds commenced in that time, a 17 per cent increase on the same period in 2024.
University of NSW architecture professor Philip Oldfield lauded the "high quality architectural designs" as a step towards expediting approvals.
But he warns governments need to be more ambitious and holistic to overcome "structural and endemic" issues stemming from tax policies and complex regulations.
"Everyone's looking for a silver bullet rather than actually planning for the future," he told AAP.
"The cost to build a home and the cost of the land is quite high ... so it's short-sighted to expect the private development model to solve all our problems."
The NSW government has allocated billions in recent budgets to build and refurbish social housing as well as helping private developers meet pre-sales targets and secure finance to build apartment buildings.
Building designers backed the release of the pattern book but called for more formal involvement in future iterations, saying architects design fewer than five per cent of residences in NSW.
"(Building designers) deliver the vast bulk of housing in NSW ... their input is essential," Building Designers Association of Australia chief executive Chris Knierim said.