One of our region's and Australia's leading town planning experts has hit back at criticism of his profession for causing unnecessary and lengthy delays to new housing development.
With Australia in the midst of a housing crisis, the NSW Property Council has called for urgent action to reduce government taxes and charges and for "faster and more streamlined planning approval timelines to boost developer confidence and support increased supply."
The Gwynneville-based former City Planner for Wollongong City Council and NSW President for the Planning Institute of Australia, David Winterbottom, says the Property Council criticism is grossly unfair.
"I was more than a little upset by the Property Council, apparently blaming the planning system and Wollongong Council in particular for not processing Development Applications quickly enough for the failure to meet housing targets, especially those for affordable housing," Mr Winterbottom said.
"It is tragic the disgraceful way in which the housing sector has been allowed to degenerate to such low levels. The taxation system, negative gearing, the lack of alternative methods of housing provision are overwhelmingly more important than planning controls, as is the abject failure of governments over many years to maintain and increase the provision of social housing."
Mr Winterbottom's comments echo those of the Member for Wollongong and NSW Planning Minister, Paul Scully, who told a Property Council housing summit last year "don't put up rubbish" proposals for "crap" housing that people don't want to live in.
"It's really hard to argue 'you want density but I'm going to build crap'. Don't do it."
Blaming planners is a cheap shot
Mr Winterbottom said blaming town planners was a cheap shot, when the issue with housing delays lay elsewhere.
"So, when all else fails, blame the planning system. Now of the current outstanding Development Applications for more than two units currently before Wollongong Council in the central area of the city, eight out of nine do not comply with Council requirements.
"So, blame government inaction and developer opportunism for the failure to meet housing targets, not the planning system."
He hit back on the development sector for asking town planners to cut the industry some slack to allow them to push out more homes in a faster time frame. He warned that an 'almost anything goes' approach would be disastrous.
"It seems disingenuous if it's proposed that if there should be no controls whatsoever on development, then magically house prices will come down.
"If it is seriously suggested that development standards should be relaxed, as a matter of principle, then where do we draw the line? A 10%, 20%, 50% or 100% variation? Is it about height, bulk, setbacks, overlooking, sunlight, parking, or what?
"How are developers to know what the rules are, and more importantly, what the rules are for their competitors. Surely it is also important to take into account what the community thinks, who, unlike the developers, have to live with the results, but who, like the developers, have been involved in setting the rules in the first place."
Mr Winterbottom turned the debate around saying there would be far fewer planning delays if the development industry got their plans right the first time.
Should developers be penalised for breaking rules?
"Perhaps instead of blaming community objection and the planning system for delays, penalties both in time and money should be imposed when Development Applications deliberately do not conform to requirements."
Meanwhile Paul Scully told the 2024 NSW Planning Institute meeting in Wollongong recently that as the first Planning Minister to live in an apartment he can speak about the experience of living in an area with greater density from first-hand experience.
"Planners in this room today hold great power. And I want you to exercise that power. Be swift, certain and fair in decision making," Mr Scully said.
"Your great powers are on display when you make sure development is fair and balanced in your assessment reports. I see these powers used will when the assessment reports are concise and logical, with practical conditions.
"I see your great responsibility is making decisions about how cities and regions should grow and change in the future and improve people's lives."
