By Dan Ryan
Local and federal governments have released housing policies with direct impacts across the region.
Cowra council released a regional housing strategy for the shire in late March, outlining opportunities to increase housing supply. The strategy revealed sites where subdivisions, rezoning and the development of undeveloped land could help address an ageing population with temporary workforce peaks, and a growing need for rental accommodation, through dedicated housing for workers, seniors and renters.
“Housing demand doesn’t operate in isolation. It’s an interconnected system, where changes to one housing stage affect others,” Mayor Paul Smith said.
“Focusing on just one housing type, such as medium-density or large-lot residential, wouldn’t work.”
Latest Stories
Locally, the strategy promises to protect agricultural land, relying on existing R5 Large Lot zoned areas for additional land parcels, and improving infrastructure in areas like West Cowra, which have suffered from wastewater and stormwater woes in recent years.
“By focusing on areas that are already zoned for residential use, we can increase the supply of housing without compromising the integrity of our agricultural land,” Mr Smith said.
“We’ve also been proactive in ensuring that future infrastructure, like roads, stormwater management, water and sewer systems can be put in place to support new developments.”
The strategy also identified opportunities for denser development within the town centre, close to Kendal Street and services residents rely on, to increase access opportunities for individuals heading to town.
The news comes as federal politicians battle it out to secure votes before May 3, spruiking housing policies to draw in first-home buyers and investors.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told party members at his campaign launch that if elected, he would build 100,000 homes reserved for first-time buyers only.
"This is the biggest home-building program since post-war housing," he told party faithfuls.
"Labor's vision for this great country, our plan to build Australia's future is not borrowing ideologies or copying policies from anywhere else or anyone else's.”
Australians would also be able to buy their first dwelling with a five per cent deposit, with the government guaranteeing the other 15 per cent and the help-to-buy scheme will be expanded to cover more people and properties.
Mr Dutton centred his pitch around restoring the Australian dream of home ownership as he branded the 2025 election "a sliding doors moment for our country".
"When Australians have heard me say that I want to be the prime minister for home ownership, for home affordability, for home accessibility, I mean it," he said.
"Australians, let's make sure that we can get this great country that we love back on track."
Rental vacancy rates remain at near-record lows across the country, sitting at 1 per cent nationally and at just 2.1 per cent in Cowra. The numbers improved from Cowra's lowest vacancy rates of 0.7 per cent in August 2022, but remain far from a 'healthy' vacancy rate of about 3 per cent.
While the effects of any national housing commitments remain under wraps until the polls on election day close, Cowra’s housing strategy will be presented to the state Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure for endorsement.
After that, council staff will begin tackling the list of actions identified as priorities, where they can be further refined before being presented back to the community as part of the next stage of the project.
With Australian Associated Press.
