Shoalhaven Affordable Housing Strategy

Thank you for providing feedback on the draft Affordable Housing Principles.

The draft principles were exhibited from 20 July to 17 August 2026, with 22 submissions received. Most submissions supported the principles and called for Council to focus on people with the greatest housing need, encourage safe and low-maintenance housing options, locate housing near public transport, ensure development fits with local neighbourhoods, and improve community understanding of affordable housing. A small number of submissions raised concerns that the work could divert resources from Council’s core services, lead to housing being developed in environmentally sensitive areas, and fail to adequately address short term rental accommodation.

These matters are already being addressed through the draft principles, existing Strategic Growth Principles in the Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS), and ongoing implementation of the Affordable Housing Strategy. Council is also preparing a new Shoalhaven Housing Strategy to plan for housing needs over the next 20 to 30 years. Council's ability to manage short-term rental accommodation is currently limited, as the NSW Government is still updating its policy and planning framework for the sector.

While providing housing is not a core local government responsibility, Council continues to use its land, planning responsibilities, and advocacy roles to help increase the supply of affordable rental housing in Shoalhaven.

Following consideration of the submissions, no major changes to the draft principles are proposed. The principles will now be incorporated into Council’s Local Strategic Planning Statement to help guide Council’s efforts to improve housing affordability and increase the supply of affordable rental housing in Shoalhaven.

7 September 2026

At its September 2026 meeting, Council’s Affordable Housing Action Taskforce received updates on:

• The NSW Government’s new public register and a new category of Affordable Housing Managers, which will help monitor and regulate affordable rental housing across the State.
• The Housing Trust’s affordable housing development, Warruya in Wollongong.
• Council’s ongoing advocacy work to improve housing affordability.

The Taskforce also supported:

• Council working with the NSW Government and other councils in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven Region to develop a regional affordable housing contribution scheme, as proposed in the draft Illawarra Shoalhaven Regional Plan. This will help deliver Strategy Action 1.2 – Prepare an Affordable Housing Contribution Scheme.
• The preparation of Collaboration Agreements with Southern Cross Housing, The Housing Trust, Homes NSW, and Landcom to support Strategy Action 1.6 – Establish collaboration agreements with preferred housing providers.

Council has received a prestigious planning award for an affordable housing complex in Bomaderry, recognising its innovative partnership with Southern Cross Housing (SCH) and Homes NSW to successfully deliver the project.

Last week, Council won the Culture Change Innovation/Excellence in Planning and Development Services award at the 2026 Local Government NSW (LGNSW) Planning Awards in Sydney for the Coomea Street 39-unit affordable housing development.

Acting Mayor Peter Wilkins said it was a great honour for Council and showed the excellent outcomes that can be achieved when organisations work together.

You can find out more about the award and the Coomea St development on Council’s website.

Pictured: Council Manager - Strategic Planning Gordon Clark, Southern Cross Housing Group CEO and Managing Director Alex Pontello and Councillor Luciano Casmiri with the Culture Change Innovation/Excellence in Planning and Development Services award.

Council is seeking community feedback on the Draft Affordable Housing Principles, which will help guide future work to improve affordable rental housing and housing affordability across the Shoalhaven.

The principles address key areas including housing location and access, housing diversity, quality design, social inclusion, long-term affordability, partnerships, and the strategic use of government land.

We encourage residents, community groups, industry stakeholders and interested organisations to review the draft principles here and read the explanatory document here before making a submission; from Monday 20 July to Monday 17 August.

Have your say by clicking here.

15 June 2026

At the June 2026 Meeting of Council’s Affordable Housing Action Taskforce, Taskforce Members received an overview of:

• Council’s advocacy efforts,
• Homes NSW’s Homes for NSW Strategy 2025-2035, and
• The Urban Development Institute of Australia’s research findings – From Approvals to Apartments.

Taskforce members also received an update on the implementation of Strategy Action 1.1 – Audit of Council-owned Land for Affordable Housing Opportunities and examined potential activities to implement Strategy Action 1.5 – Development Assessment Support.

The agenda and minutes for the meeting are available on Council’s website.

9 March 2026

At the March 2026 Meeting of Council’s Affordable Housing Action Taskforce, Taskforce Members received an overview of:

• Council’s advocacy efforts,
• The NSW Government’s Affordable Housing Guidelines,
• The outcomes of the NSW Government inquiry into Essential Worker Housing, and
• The Nowra Precinct Renewal Strategy.

The Nowra Precinct Renewal Strategy is a collaborative project between Council, Homes NSW, and Southern Cross Housing, funded by the NSW Government’s Regional Housing Strategic Planning Fund. The Renewal Strategy will guide development and investment in the NSW Government’s housing portfolio in the Nowra area.

Taskforce Members also examined potential Strategic Principles for Affordable Housing to help implement Strategy Action 1.4 Developing Strategic Principles for Affordable Housing.

The agenda and minutes for the meeting are available on Council’s website.

20 February 2026

More than 60 people are set to move into brand new homes following the completion of a 39-unit complex at Bomaderry. The complex of 25 social homes and 14 affordable housing units will provide accommodation for approximately 60 people.

Council donated the land for the development following a recommendation from its previous Affordable Housing Strategy (settled in 2018). The NSW Government invested $4.8m in the project on top of the financial contribution of Southern Cross Housing. Southern Cross Housing now own and manage the complex.

Council is now examining other affordable housing opportunities provided by its land through the implementation of Strategy Action 1.1 – Audit of Council-owned Land for Affordable Housing Opportunities.

8 December 2025

At the December 2025 Meeting of Council’s Affordable Housing Action Taskforce, Taskforce Members received an overview of Shoalhaven’s housing statistics and the roles and responsibilities of agencies, organisations and stakeholders providing and managing affordable housing.

Taskforce members also prioritised the order in which the Affordable Housing Strategy’s short-term actions will be implemented and examined the criteria to guide the work on Action 1.1 Audit of Council-owned Land. The Taskforce set the following priority for implementing short-term actions:

1. Action 1.1 Complete a desktop audit of Council-owned land to identify opportunities for future affordable housing utilisation.
2. Action 1.4 Develop strategic principles for affordable housing.
3. Action 1.3 Consider planning and development controls to facilitate manufactured homes closer to urban centres.
4. Action 1.5 Provide dwelling assessment support to affordable and high-density housing development applications.
5. Action 1.7 Continue advocacy to the NSW Government and federal Government on affordable housing issues.
6. Action 1.6 Create a collaboration agreement with preferred Community Housing Providers.
7. Action 1.2 Implement an affordable housing contributions scheme.
8. Action 1.8 Run an education campaign about the benefits of affordable and diverse low-cost market housing.

The agenda and minutes for the meeting are available on Council’s website.

The first meeting of the Affordable Housing Action Taskforce will take place on Monday 22 September at the Nowra Administration Building from 4:00pm.

The taskforce is comprised of 15 community and industry representatives, the mayor and three councillors.

The taskforce has been established to support Council’s implementation of its Affordable Housing Strategy 2024 and will lead work to execute the actions set in the Strategy.

During the first meeting, members of the taskforce will be provided with an overview of the Affordable Housing Strategy, discuss the roles and responsibilities of agencies, organisations and stakeholders providing and managing affordable housing and will consider the Taskforce terms of reference.

The full agenda for the meeting is now available on Council’s website.

Elected Council considered the recommended membership and updated draft Terms of Reference for its Affordable Housing taskforce at its 17 June 2025 Ordinary Meeting.

Council appointed the Mayor as the Chairperson, Councillors Casmiri, Dunn and Tribe as voting members, and endorsed the Terms of Reference for the Taskforce.

Council did not settle the Taskforce’s membership, instead directing the Chairperson (the Mayor) and staff to review all expressions of interest and present their recommended membership for Council’s consideration at a future Ordinary Meeting.

We will notify all applicants and subscribers to this project webpage of the meeting date and how to view the business paper for the meeting.