A unique proposal by the NSW Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) to exchange land with Goulburn Mulwaree Council and build more social housing in the region has been successfully agreed upon.
LAHC Chief Executive Michael Wheatley said following extensive talks with Council, he’s delighted with the outcome of the proposal as it enables the government to continue its commitment to deliver much needed social housing.
“With around 30 people on the priority waitlist and some 300 people in total looking for more social housing in Goulburn, we’ve got to think outside the box when it comes to delivering more homes to reduce those numbers and this historical land swap agreement is a perfect example of that” Mr Wheatley said.
In January 2023, LAHC executed a Collaboration Agreement with Goulburn Mulwaree Council to foster a high-quality stakeholder relationship that would focus on identifying opportunities for the creation of new and more social housing in the region.
One of the initiatives pursued under the agreement was the proposed reclassification of Council’s vacant land at Howard Boulevard which could become part of a land swap with LAHC owned land along the Wollondilly Riverfront on Gibson Street.
Mr. Wheatley said the deal provided a ‘win-win’ scenario for both parties.
“We believe this is a fantastic result for the community as the land owned by LAHC was simply unsuitable for housing, which is why we proposed swapping it for Council’s underutilised open space site.
“It means we will be able to investigate the delivery of approximately 20 one and two-bedroom units on the new site for those in need. Also as part of the deal, we’ll be working with Council and the community to identify and provide at least $170,000 of additional public benefit to Council owned lands in the local vicinity.”
“Council is pleased to be able to work in partnership with LAHC to assist in delivering the development of housing for those with the greatest needs in our community. This demonstrates our commitment to the MOU that Council entered into with LAHC at the beginning of this year. We look forward to continuing to develop our relationship with LAHC for the benefit of our community,” said Goulburn Mulwaree Council Chief Executive Officer, Aaron Johansson.
The next step is for Council to reclassify and rezone the site for residential use before it is officially swapped with the owned LAHC land.