Media release
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne
The knee-jerk opposition from Liberal politicians to housing in Woollahra is just the latest example of how representatives in Northern Sydney and the Eastern Suburbs are making the housing crisis worse.
While councils throughout Western Sydney and the Inner West are stepping up to deliver new housing, the Liberal Party continues to demand a moratorium on desperately needed new homes in their blue-ribbon electorates.
In the past two weeks, Liberal MPs and Mayors have opposed all new housing in the Hills Shire, North Sydney, Castlecrag, and now Woollahra.
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said, "The housing crisis will never be solved if half of Sydney is a no-go zone for new homes."
"When it comes to the housing crisis in Sydney, it really is a tale of two cities. The Liberal Party is determined to mindlessly oppose new housing everywhere north of the Harbour Bridge, and east of the CBD.
"Quite obviously, we'll never fix housing supply for Sydney if politicians in one half of the city are allowed to get away with blocking all new homes.
"Time and again, they demand new transport infrastructure before homes can be built but then turn around and oppose new homes even around train stations and metro stops.
"Next to no new housing has been delivered in Woollahra or Castlecrag for the past several decades, and it's beyond time that they took their fair share.
"Through Our Fairer Future Plan, the Inner West is proposing a significant increase in new homes in our community. This is because we believe all councils have a responsibility to act so that the next generation of Sydneysiders will have a place to call home.
"I will be tabling a motion at the upcoming NSW Local Government Conference in Penrith to commit all councils in Sydney to supporting desperately needed new homes in their communities, instead of saying 'not in my backyard'."
