Albury

To guide and influence housing policy over the period to 2041, and to align Council’s housing framework with other key strategic planning policies at both State and local government level, Albury City Council commissioned HillPDA to prepare a Local Housing Strategy (LHS) for the Local Government Area (LGA). The Local Housing Strategy was required to be aligned with the NSW Housing Strategy Guideline.

The study included a:

• Review of NSW and Council’s relevant strategic and statutory planning framework, and cross-border planning similarities and differences between Albury and Wodonga
• Demographic analysis and population projections
• Consideration of the existing housing market in the LGA
• Housing supply and demand analysis including implied dwelling demand, housing pipeline, and amount and location of land zoned for residential purposes in the LGA
• Consideration of housing diversity and affordability
• Analysis of environmental and economic constraints for housing development
• Consideration of housing resilience in the context of climate change, natural disaster risk, and social infrastructure provision and accessibility.

Project outcome

The work undertaken to develop the Albury LHS found, among other things, that population growth was outpacing dwelling construction, newly constructed housing was lacking in diversity, and affordability was becoming an increasingly pressing issue, especially in the rental market.

In collaboration with the Council, HillPDA created a housing vision and objectives that aligned with the local, regional, and State priorities and aims. The LHS established 12 strategies across the four objectives of supply, diversity, affordability, and resilience. We also developed an action plan that prioritised the strategies, as informed by discussion with Council staff and the findings of the LHS evidence base.

Services:

• Demographic analysis
• Housing supply analysis
• Housing demand analysis
• Planning control analysis
• Policy review
• Engagement

Client: Albury City Council
Project year: 2022

For more information, contact Jesse Rowlings, Consultant