Decision Maker: Council
Decision status: Recommendations Determined
Moved by Councillor Maxwell, seconded by
Councillor Miller -
It is resolved that:
(A)
Council
note:
(i)
the
2025 Australian Local Government Association National General Assembly will be
held from 24 to 27 June 2025 in Canberra;
(ii)
the
theme for the 2025 National General Assembly, National Priorities Need Local
Solutions, highlights the unique role Australia’s 537 councils can play in
delivering local, place-based solutions that meet the needs of their
communities while addressing broader national priorities;
(iii)
meanwhile
housing in a Local Government Area can address urgent needs by providing
temporary accommodation for those experiencing homelessness, survivors of
domestic violence, and vulnerable groups such as youth, seniors, refugees, and
people with disabilities. It can also support community engagement through
artist residencies, pop-up hubs, and eco-friendly housing while serving as
worker accommodation or spaces for trials of innovative housing concepts;
(iv)
the
City of Sydney has a history of supporting people fleeing domestic violence as
well as vulnerable people more broadly, but the demand for safe housing
continues to grow;
(v)
currently
there are over 100 Development Applications (DAs) with a residential component
currently under assessment including residential flat buildings, shop-top
housing, terrace dwellings and alts/adds to existing dwellings in the City of
Sydney with approved properties often left vacant before redevelopment begins;
(vi)
Lane
Cove Council has adopted a model enabling vacant properties to serve as
temporary shelters for people fleeing domestic violence, in collaboration with
housing agencies and nonprofits, ensuring no costs or liabilities for property
owners;
(vii)
Homes
NSW and Bridge Housing are successfully using a 17-unit building in inner
Sydney for short-term accommodation, demonstrating the model's scalability and
suitability for Council-led initiatives;
(viii)
in
December 2024, the NSW Government introduced exempt and complying development
pathways to make it easier for vacant properties to be repurposed for crisis
housing without requiring a Development Application (DA), expediting access to
temporary accommodation;
(ix)
as a
result of the Covid-19 pandemic affecting the number of international students
in Sydney, in July 2021, Council resolved to work with organisations to support
the “meanwhile use” of vacant student housing for transitional housing and
crisis accommodation. Later that year, Council provided an Ad Hoc grant of
$118,540 to Women’s Community Shelters for Abercrombie House, which unlocked
underutilised student accommodation to provide single women at risk of
homelessness or leaving Domestic or Family Violence with affordable housing and
support for a 12-month period; and
(x)
in July
2024, Council resolved that the Lord Mayor be requested to host a roundtable
with Community Housing Providers, Metropolitan Councils, Homes NSW, the
Tenants’ Union of NSW, Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, the NSW Rental
Commissioner and peak bodies about protecting and increasing safe and secure
affordable rental housing, which will be held later this year;
(B)
the
Chief Executive Officer be requested to investigate how Council can work with
existing organisations to encourage and facilitate the use of vacant properties
for meanwhile housing, including opportunities for financial or in-kind
support, and report back to Council via the CEO Update;
(C)
the
Lord Mayor be requested to write to the Minister for Planning and Public
Spaces, Paul Scully, requesting information be provided on the NSW Planning
Portal to notify applicants about opportunities available through the new
exempt and complying development pathways for the meanwhile use of their vacant
properties for crisis accommodation; and
(D)
Council
endorse the following motion for submission to the 2025 Australian Local
Government Association National General Assembly:
This
National General Assembly calls on the Australian Government to advocate to
relevant state and territory governments to consider introducing exempt and
complying development pathways to enable the meanwhile use of vacant properties
for crisis accommodation and to implement a notification process to applicants.
Carried unanimously.
X113762
Report author: Erin Cashman
Publication date: 17/02/2025
Date of decision: 17/02/2025
Decided at meeting: 17/02/2025 - Council
Accompanying Documents: