At a Glance
• Federal housing targets will shape growth pressures across Sydney, including Campbelltown
• Campbelltown already exceeds Greater Sydney averages in social and affordable housing
• Employment imbalance remains a critical structural challenge for the region
• Strong financial performance and strategic investment underpin future resilience

Housing Affordability and the Role of Local Government

Local government has long carried a dual identity. We are both service providers and democratic institutions of self government. In recent decades, the democratic dimension has narrowed in New South Wales through planning reforms and centralised decision making. At the same time, we now see renewed federal attention on housing affordability.

The Australian Government has announced an aspirational target of one million new, well located homes over five years from mid 2024. It has also committed to additional affordable dwellings in partnership with the states and to a substantial housing future fund.

While constitutional scholars continue to debate the scope of federal involvement in urban planning, there is no dispute that housing affordability and market stability are matters of national interest. If fiscal policy translates into development, the practical delivery will fall to state and local government. We must therefore prepare.

Growth, Equity and Infrastructure

Any meaningful increase in Sydney’s housing supply will affect Campbelltown. We must plan for growth and for greater density. Yet growth without infrastructure erodes trust and liveability.

Campbelltown already carries a significant share of social and affordable housing. At 8.7 per cent of our total housing stock, we are well above the average across Greater Sydney. By contrast, some inner metropolitan areas remain below one per cent. This imbalance warrants honest discussion.

Our challenge is not simply supply. It is structure. More than sixty per cent of Campbelltown’s resident workforce leaves the LGA each morning. Increasing affordable housing in fringe areas without commensurate job creation risks entrenching this imbalance and reinforcing long commutes.

I have always believed that housing affordability must be addressed alongside employment opportunity and infrastructure investment. A city cannot function sustainably if it becomes primarily a dormitory.

We must plan for a denser city. But we also must continue to fight for social equity and ensure we receive our fair share of infrastructure investment to support such growth.

Those words reflect the balance we must maintain.

Learning from Planning History

Campbelltown is undertaking important strategic work. We have contributed to the Western Sydney Affordable Housing Strategy and endorsed the preparation of our own Affordable Rental Housing Strategy. Once finalised, we will be positioned to negotiate affordable housing contributions where appropriate.

At the same time, we must acknowledge our own history. Planning policies adopted in previous decades limited housing diversity. Those decisions were often made with good intentions, yet they reduced pathways into home ownership for many. We cannot undo the past, but we can learn from it.

Current state level conditions require us to increase our dwelling targets. Several complementary strategies, including the Glenfield to Macarthur Corridor Strategy and precinct planning initiatives, have been delayed at the state level. These delays complicate coordinated delivery.

The risk before us is acceleration without alignment. Federal pressure may drive state reform, which in turn may drive local target increases. Without supporting infrastructure and services, this creates strain rather than prosperity.

Housing affordability is also shaped by credit markets, taxation settings, supply chains, labour availability and construction costs. Planning approval is only one variable in a much larger system.

Internally, we must continue improving our performance. The General Manager is undertaking structural reviews and resourcing reforms to reduce delays and strengthen assessment capability. Accountability begins at home.

Financial Strength and Self Reliance

In parallel with growth pressures, Council must remain financially resilient. Our Annual Report and Financial Statements demonstrate performance above all required benchmarks. Revenue diversification through commercial property and grant success has strengthened our position.

In the previous financial year, approximately twenty per cent of our operating income derived from grants and contributions. We have also secured significant WestInvest funding to enhance public spaces, recreation trails and community infrastructure.

While grant success is welcome, over reliance is not prudent. Economic and political conditions shift. Our long term stability depends on strengthening our own revenue base and utilising our assets responsibly to benefit the community.

Financial resilience underpins planning resilience. Without a sound balance sheet, strategic ambition cannot be sustained.

Inclusion and Social Responsibility

Alongside housing and finance, Council must address social wellbeing. The Disability Inclusion Action Plan and the Domestic Violence Strategy represent substantive commitments.

Ending domestic and family violence requires coordinated effort across institutions and community. Similarly, improving inclusion for people living with disability is not an adjunct responsibility. It is central to civic life.

I acknowledge the contributions of councillors and staff who have championed these initiatives and the community members who shaped them through engagement. Policy documents matter because they guide measurable action.

Community and Continuity

As we navigate complex housing debates and strategic reform, community life continues. The return of the Festival of Fisher’s Ghost reminds us that identity is sustained not only through planning instruments, but through shared celebration.

Since 1956, the festival has been a fixture of our civic calendar. It brings together arts, culture, commerce and community. In times of rapid growth and policy change, such traditions anchor us.

Reflection

Housing affordability is a national conversation, but its consequences are local. Campbelltown must be prepared for increased density and demand, yet firm in advocating for infrastructure equity and employment generation. We must acknowledge our planning history, strengthen our internal capability and safeguard financial resilience. Above all, we must ensure that growth enhances rather than diminishes the lived experience of our residents. That balance will define the character of our city in the years ahead.

Read the original Mayoral Minute here: 14. Housing Affordability‍