Latest news with #ChrisMinns
The Advertiser
15 hours ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Dollar dazzler designs no silver bullet for housing woe
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.
News.com.au
a day ago
- Business
- News.com.au
NSW Premier Chris Minns says housing ‘standing in the way' of young people's happiness
NSW Premier Chris Minns says young people being locked out of the housing market is 'standing in the way of their happiness', as he cheekily hitout at the WA 'petro-state' in a post-budget address. The Premier told the McKell Institute panel at the NAB headquarters in Sydney's CBD on Wednesday afternoon that young people in NSW were being stopped 'from living a good life' because they could not find a 'decent home'. It comes after the NSW government formally launched its low-rise Housing Pattern Book, a selection of eight architecturally-approved townhouses and terraces, designs for which will be sold for the first six months for $1. The Labor government hopes the project will join other existing initiatives in boosting housing supply, a key issues Mr Minns said was standing in the way of 'fairness' and young NSW residents being able to find a home. 'If you care about fairness, you have to start with the biggest problem of all, and that is housing,' he said. 'A single problem that also undermines social mobility, makes people work longer and harder for less reward, and even in its most acute forms, can threaten faith in democracy and our system of government.' Mr Minns said 'because of our failure on housing policy' NSW residents were being forced to move further away from friends and work. He told the progressive institute Labor differed from the Greens because they 'understand the reality that there is a massive role in for the private industry, supporting government planning decisions, putting their own capital on the line, (and) building homes for the next generation. 'It's where we differ from other political parties in NSW as well, who seem to want to preserve Sydney as if it was a national museum, while also adding another street to the western fringe of Sydney every other week,' he said. 'My ultimate aim is that other political parties join us in a bipartisan change to the planning Act that we can push through the parliament. 'But, if it's only going to be us, that's fine too, because we will take it to the election campaign and earn a mandate for major change in NSW when it comes to planning for the most expensive city on Earth.' Housing has been a key sticking point for the NSW government, with the Premier lamenting the number of young people leaving the state. Despite defending the Commonwealth Government housing targets, which are set to missed by a considerable margin, Mr Minns 'not against picking a fight with Canberra or whoever stands in the way of it (planning reform)'. 'I just think that we had to get our own house in order before we started picking fights or two fights with everybody else about housing,' he said. Reflecting on planning regulation under previous state governments, Mr Minns accused them of having replaced an 'an actual decision … with either blaming the Commonwealth, or immigration, in particular, Sydney's full and other rhetorical devices, or blaming councils and saying, well, not speeding up developments now.' Mr Minns also made a gentle swipe at WA, who Treasurer Daniel Moohkey has also singled out over the GST carve up. Speaking on WA's budget surplus, Mr Minns said the state was 'one of the richest states in the world'. 'Almost like a Petro state in the Middle East, and for largely the same reason,' he said. 'They just dig stuff out of the ground and sell it off to Asia.' States currently receive at least 75c per dollar of GST.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Business
- Perth Now
One thing in the way of young people's happiness
NSW Premier Chris Minns says young people being locked out of the housing market is 'standing in the way of their happiness', as he cheekily hitout at the WA 'petro-state' in a post-budget address. The Premier told the McKell Institute panel at the NAB headquarters in Sydney's CBD on Wednesday afternoon that young people in NSW were being stopped 'from living a good life' because they could not find a 'decent home'. It comes after the NSW government formally launched its low-rise Housing Pattern Book, a selection of eight architecturally-approved townhouses and terraces, designs for which will be sold for the first six months for $1. The Labor government hopes the project will join other existing initiatives in boosting housing supply, a key issues Mr Minns said was standing in the way of 'fairness' and young NSW residents being able to find a home. 'If you care about fairness, you have to start with the biggest problem of all, and that is housing,' he said. 'A single problem that also undermines social mobility, makes people work longer and harder for less reward, and even in its most acute forms, can threaten faith in democracy and our system of government.' Mr Minns said 'because of our failure on housing policy' NSW residents were being forced to move further away from friends and work. NSW Premier Chris Minns said were being stopped 'from living a good life'. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia He told the progressive institute Labor differed from the Greens because they 'understand the reality that there is a massive role in for the private industry, supporting government planning decisions, putting their own capital on the line, (and) building homes for the next generation. 'It's where we differ from other political parties in NSW as well, who seem to want to preserve Sydney as if it was a national museum, while also adding another street to the western fringe of Sydney every other week,' he said. 'My ultimate aim is that other political parties join us in a bipartisan change to the planning Act that we can push through the parliament. 'But, if it's only going to be us, that's fine too, because we will take it to the election campaign and earn a mandate for major change in NSW when it comes to planning for the most expensive city on Earth.' Housing has been a key sticking point for the NSW government, with the Premier lamenting the number of young people leaving the state. Despite defending the Commonwealth Government housing targets, which are set to missed by a considerable margin, Mr Minns 'not against picking a fight with Canberra or whoever stands in the way of it (planning reform)'. The Premier addressed McKell Institute on Labor's housing plans on Wednesday. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia 'I just think that we had to get our own house in order before we started picking fights or two fights with everybody else about housing,' he said. Reflecting on planning regulation under previous state governments, Mr Minns accused them of having replaced an 'an actual decision … with either blaming the Commonwealth, or immigration, in particular, Sydney's full and other rhetorical devices, or blaming councils and saying, well, not speeding up developments now.' Mr Minns also made a gentle swipe at WA, who Treasurer Daniel Moohkey has also singled out over the GST carve up. Speaking on WA's budget surplus, Mr Minns said the state was 'one of the richest states in the world'. 'Almost like a Petro state in the Middle East, and for largely the same reason,' he said. 'They just dig stuff out of the ground and sell it off to Asia.' States currently receive at least 75c per dollar of GST. WA pushed for the floor to be introduced when its GST share plummeted after the 2012 mining boom, but the economy is booming again.
News.com.au
a day ago
- Business
- News.com.au
$1 homes set to change Sydney landscape
The Minns Government has launched a 'pattern book' of pre-approved house designs intended to provide an accelerated pathway for the approval of new low-rise houses. Homes built following the eights designs in the pattern book will only take 10 days to get approval and will bypass much of the council red tape that's contributed to significant housing backlogs. The designs range from terraces, townhouses and manor homes and will cost $1,000 to use, but the NSW government has promised to charge just $1 for those using the designs over the first six months of the program. A media release announcing the designs revealed that these charges will help those building new homes bypass an estimated $20,000 in fees for custom architecture. The announcement follows the launch of an international pattern book design competition in 2024, with the state government endorsing eight designs for families, young people and downsizers. NSW Premier Chris Minns and Minister of Planning Spaces Paul Scully revealed that the designs were aimed at accelerating the development of affordable and sustainable housing. Each design will be adaptable for different family sizes and housing needs, including different room formations and layout. The government claimed in the release that this would help create vibrant diverse communities. Each design purchase will come with a complimentary Landscape Pattern to help new homeowners design gardens. 'This Pattern Book is about giving people more choice, faster approvals and affordable, high-quality homes – whether you're a young person trying to get in, a family needing more space, or a downsizer looking to stay close to the community you know,' Mr Minns stated in the release. 'This is a practical step to make the housing system fairer – and make sure NSW remains a place where the next generation can live and thrive.' The delivery of homes through the pattern book is further supported by the Minns Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms aimed to make terraces, townhouses and manor houses broadly permissible across NSW.
News.com.au
a day ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
NSW Premier Chris Minns won't rule out further censure on Mark Latham after sext revelations
NSW Premier Chris Minns has refused to rule out further action against Mark Latham in state parliament after reports the former One Nation leader sent sexually explicit texts to his then-partner from the chamber. The one-time NSW One Nation leader has faced renewed controversy in recent days following allegations by his former partner of domestic abuse after an apprehended violence order application was filed in court. Mr Latham has denied the allegations, which do not involve any criminal charges and have not been tested in court, but again faced claims on Wednesday he sent explicit messages to his ex-partner from inside parliament. Asked whether he would move any additional censure motions following revelations of the messages, the Premier said he would 'reserve' his answer until more information was presented, but refused to rule it out. 'I wouldn't say categorically we wouldn't be prepared to move (a motion),' Mr Minns said. 'What I would say is that you're right, notice was given in relation to a censure of Mr Latham prior to any of these revelations. 'That goes to the point (that) people were warned about this guy for a long time, and we're going to go ahead with those motions and I am hopeful that it gets wide support to send a clear message that the kind of behaviour that he's been up to for a period of time is completely unacceptable.' Those sentiments were mirrored by Labor upper house leader Penny Sharpe who on Tuesday said she put two motions before the house when parliament resumes in August. One of those motions would seek to refer Mr Latham to the privileges committee over his behaviour. The second would be a more general motion calling into question his overall behaviour. 'Mark Latham has some questions to answer on a whole range of behaviours,' she said. Mr Minns has ramped up his attacks in recent months against Mr Latham, a former Labor leader who has become a key vote against the government in the Legislative Council. In June, Mr Minns called Mr Latham 'Australia's biggest bigot' in a surprise spray during question time, and claimed there was an a 'coalition emerging' between the Greens in the Upper House, the Legislative Council, the Coalition, and One Nation. He claimed they were 'voting together day after day' to 'platform one of the most shameful bigots in NSW', referring to Mr Latham. In a series of late night tweets on Tuesday, Mr Latham said the messages purported to be between him and his former partner were 'not accurate' and claimed 'someone has made changes in very important ways'. Mr Latham claimed the messages, as reproduced in The Daily Telegraph, omitted messages in the chain and claimed in one instance a word had been omitted from a message. But he did not deny claims a message had been sent during question time. 'The Tele is tut-tutting one of these messages was sent during question time,' he said. 'At least I was there. There's a terrible upper house tradition of a whole bunch of MPs never attending QT, they just pop in and out for their own question.'
