At a Glance

• Campbelltown has long carried a significant share of social and affordable housing across the region
• Housing policy must balance compassion, liveability, financial sustainability, and fairness for residents
• The Minute raises important concerns about uneven regional responsibility and unclear state reform settings
• Good governance requires careful judgement before imposing new burdens on local communities

Social and Affordable Housing in Campbelltown

There are few issues more consequential for a city than housing. It touches dignity, stability, opportunity, and the shape of community life itself. In reflecting on this Mayoral Minute, I am reminded that housing debates are rarely simple, particularly in a city such as Campbelltown, where the pressures of growth, affordability, and social responsibility intersect so directly.

What was clear to me in this Minute is that the question is not whether social and affordable housing matters. It plainly does. The deeper question is how that responsibility is shared, how it is funded, and how a growing city protects both inclusion and liveability over time.

A city that has carried its share

Campbelltown has long been recognised as a place where families and individuals could find a foothold in Sydney without facing the most extreme housing costs. That has been one of the city’s strengths. It has made Campbelltown accessible, welcoming, and grounded in a strong sense of community.

But accessibility brings its own obligations, and this Minute makes the important point that Campbelltown has not simply benefited from relative affordability. It has also carried a disproportionate share of the region’s social and affordable housing task. That is not a minor observation. It goes to the heart of fairness across metropolitan Sydney.

I have always believed that a city’s generosity should be recognised, but it should not be taken for granted. When one community consistently absorbs more than its share of a regional challenge, it is reasonable to ask whether the burden is being distributed equitably.

Understanding the difference between affordability and social housing

One of the strengths of the Minute is that it distinguishes carefully between housing affordability, social housing, and affordable rental housing. These terms are often used interchangeably in public debate, yet they describe different parts of the housing system.

Housing affordability speaks to whether people can realistically buy or rent a typical home. Social housing refers to housing provided through public, community, or Indigenous housing systems for households in greatest need. Affordable rental housing sits in a related but distinct space, intended to support very low, low, and moderate income households under the policy settings of New South Wales.

This distinction matters because each category brings different expectations, funding structures, and long term implications for a council area. I am reminded that public trust depends in part on speaking plainly about these differences. Communities deserve clarity, especially on issues as sensitive and significant as housing.

Liveability matters too

The Minute places Campbelltown’s housing role within the wider context of Sydney as a global city. That is not an incidental point. Affordability cannot be considered in isolation from liveability. A city may be cheaper than others, but if it is asked to absorb more housing pressure without the commensurate investment in infrastructure, services, and amenity, the long term result is neither fair nor sustainable.

This is where the argument in the Minute becomes especially important. It suggests that policy settings must recognise not only the need for more affordable homes, but also the cumulative impact on the communities that host them. That is a sound principle. Housing policy should serve people, but it should also strengthen place.

“Campbelltown has consistently played a crucial role in addressing the most challenging issues related to urban development”

That line captures the civic reality well. Campbelltown has been part of the solution for many years. The challenge now is to ensure that contribution is matched by fair treatment and clear strategy.

The burden on ratepayers and local services

A central concern in this Minute is the financial effect of expanding affordable rental housing where properties owned and managed by community housing providers are exempt from land rates. This is presented not as an abstract accounting issue, but as a practical question of who ultimately carries the cost.

I think this is an important point for any mayor to raise. Local government exists to serve communities fairly. If exemptions shift the burden onto other ratepaying residents, that impact deserves scrutiny. Not because the need for affordable housing is in doubt, but because the method of provision must be transparent and equitable.

What this reveals is a broader governance issue. Good intentions alone are not enough. Policy must account for consequences. If one city provides a larger share of housing while also facing greater pressure on services, infrastructure, and rates, then the wider system must respond with balance and support.

Reform requires clarity and care

The Minute also reflects a prudent caution about current reform settings. With changes underway through Homes NSW and broader housing reform conversations at both state and federal level, uncertainty remains about how new incentives and obligations will operate in practice.

I have often found that in periods of reform, restraint can be as important as ambition. It is wise for councils to understand the likely consequences of state action before locking in local schemes that may later disadvantage residents. That is not resistance to reform. It is responsible governance.

The reference to a forthcoming meeting with the Minister for Housing is significant in that respect. It signals that advocacy remains essential. Local councils must not simply receive policy settings from above. They must explain local realities, defend community interests, and insist on fairer metropolitan outcomes.

Reflection

In  this Minute, I made a careful attempt to hold together compassion and responsibility. Campbelltown’s role in providing social and affordable housing is real and longstanding, but so too is its duty to protect liveability, financial balance, and confidence in the future of the city. I am left with the view that the right path is neither indifference nor haste, but clear sighted stewardship that insists on fairness for those in need and fairness for the community that has already carried so much.

Read the original Mayoral Minute here: The Provision of Social and Affordable Rental Housing in Campbelltown