NSW Labor promises new home levy cut
The Keneally Government has promised to reduce the cost of new housing by slashing State Infrastructure Contributions by up to $27,000 per lot.
The promise was part of the NSW Government’s ‘Fairness for your Neighbourhood’ policy released this week outlining the party’s promises for housing policies should it be re-elected.
Kristina Keneally also pledged to stop urban sprawl with a 70:30 split between urban consolidation and Greenfield expansion.
Ms Keneally said under the Labor Government 80 per cent of new housing would be within walking distance of major centres by 2031 and 90,000 new homes would be built close to public transport links by 2016.
“The Opposition’s plan to change urban consolidation and Greenfield expansion planning ratio to 50:50 will dump an extra 128,000 homes into south west and western Sydney – without the transport links and infrastructure necessary to support new residents,” Ms Keneally said.
Urban Taskforce CEO Aaron Gadiel said that while the promise to cut new home levies was welcomed he questioned the lack of detail offered on how this would be achieved.
In particular he pointed to the Keneally Government’s plans to increase levies on new Western Sydney homes by 50 per cent to $18,000 as well as increased levies in the Lower Hunter and Illawarra regions.
“Does this mean they will not be proceeding with their planned 50 per cent increase to levies on new Western Sydney homes?” he said.