Property Council NSW Executive Director Katie Stevenson said the constructive effort showed what's possible when Parliament is focused on driving practical reforms to address the housing crisis and improve the planning system.
"After a marathon debate, the Bill has progressed through the Lower House with a number of sensible amendments to improve the legislation. That's real momentum, and credit to the Government for moving at pace and for bringing the Opposition and the Crossbench on the journey.
"The Parliament has listened to industry about the changes needed to speed up decisions, reduce duplication and get more homes and jobs delivered - we've no time to waste, and we look forward to the Upper House continuing this constructive, multipartisan approach," she said.
Ms Stevenson said fresh building activity data released yesterday by the ABS underscored the need for Parliament to pass and implement at pace the measures outlined in the Bill.
The numbers reveal quarterly dwelling completions fell from 10,336 to 9,638, with NSW delivering just 56% (42,411 dwellings) of its annual 75,000 dwellings housing target to the end of June - marking the end of the first year of the National Housing Accord.
Commencements fell last quarter to 11,112 from 12,772 (down 13%) but were higher across the year – 46,724 in 2024-25 up from 40,347 in 2023-24 (up 16%).
"The numbers show in stark terms why these reforms matter. We need a steadier approvals pipeline feeding through to commencements and completions, and to have any hope of reaching our housing targets we need to claw back the lag," Ms Stevenson said.
The Property Council said several long-called-for measures are captured in the Bill, including:
- A single, coordinated "front door" for agency advice to end referral delays.
- A targeted assessment pathway for simpler, lower-risk proposals.
- Changes to complying development to allow flexibility in standards and faster processing timeframes for variation requests.
"These are sensible, system-wide fixes that will help to clear the backlog and focus scarce resources on more complex projects. Faster, clearer decisions will translate into more approvals, more commencements and, ultimately, more keys in doors," Ms Stevenson said.
"Once Parliament gives the green light on the legislation, we need clear guidance, well-resourced assessment teams, and the constructive dialogue to continue as regulations and practice notes roll out, to see the benefits flow to approvals, commencements and completions," she said.
