Fears Wollongong could lose 'city' status as Commission axed

On Wednesday, the NSW government announced it would introduce legislation to disband the Greater Cities Commission and incorporate the work done by the Commission and its staff into the Planning Department.

The Greater Cities Commission was set up by former planning and cities minister Rob Stokes, as an expansion of the Greater Sydney Commission, in 2022.

The Commission would drive strategic planning across greater Sydney, the Illawarra and the Hunter as part of Mr Stokes's vision of a "sandstone mega region", stretching from Ulladulla to Nelson Bay.

The vision came with it the promise of integrated planning on everything from housing to education and business activity, and even the dream of fast rail connecting each of the "six cities".

But, the Commission was also criticised for duplicating functions that were already occurring within the Planning Department and doubling up on regional plans that were developed mere months ago, as well as promising a utopian vision for the expansive region that was disconnected from day-to-day challenges.

In the Illawarra, local commissioner Jacki Johnson had been speaking to the community for the past 12 months, following the release of a Six Cities Region Discussion Paper, which would inform a City Plan for the Illawarra-Shoalhaven, to be released in 2024.

Planning Minister Paul Scully said this work wouldn't be for nothing, with the work done by the Commission brought back under the Planning Department.

"That will provide the foundation for the ongoing task of strategy planning done under the guise of the Planning Secretary into the future," he said.

But property insiders have said the Greater Cities Commission played a vital role in elevating the Illawarra, and Wollongong in particular to "city status" and ensuring the region's needs were considered alongside the larger cities to the north.

Property Council regional director David White said the Commission changed the way the city and region was thought about.

"Bringing the Illawarra into the strategic planning fold was a major step forward for the region."

The region recognised the reality that Wollongong's housing and labour market is inextricably linked to Sydney, and in particular the growing connections between the Illawarra and the rapidly growing suburbs of south-western Sydney.

With the functions of the Greater Cities Commission being rolled back into the planning department, the Illawarra should not return to regional status, and be considered distinct from Sydney, Mr White said.

Mr Scully said this was not going to occur.

"You've got to treat these areas collectively, because there's transport, housing and infrastructure tasks that interplay within it."

With the GCC effectively moribund since funding was withdrawn in mid 2023, the Minns government has focused on setting increased housing targets to meet the state's demand and the state's obligations under the national Housing Accord.

Developer advocacy group UDIA CEO Steve Mann said that with the targets largely set, it was time to release these targets and begin building.

"Achieving this record new housing supply will be difficult but with the right housing targets in place across our cities, regions and local government areas, matched with planning initiatives to grow the delivery of housing, we can tackle the housing and affordability crisis," he said.

Mr Scully would not be drawn on what the new targets would be, but the Illawarra-Shoalhaven Regional Plan set a target of 38,000 new homes by 2041 and it is expected these targets will be revised upwards as the need for housing has grown.