Committee for Sydney

What will keep Sydney vibrant and attractive to visitors? As discussions increasingly centre on Sydney's unaffordability, it’s essential to explore how we can support the amenities, places, experiences and people that draw visitors in. This was the focus of our 'Sydney 24/7' event, where we delved into three critical strategies for shaping Sydney’s economic future: 🌏 The NSW Visitor Economy Strategy, presented by Destination NSW. The strategy sets a bold vision for NSW to be the premier visitor economy of the Asia-Pacific by 2030. Strategic priorities include building a future-ready NSW, investing in ‘experience tourism’ and letting visitors experience life as locals, leveraging events as triggers and brand builders, and enabling sustainable growth >> https://lnkd.in/ga8Pc_Pb 🪩 The 24-Hour Economy Strategy, presented by 24-Hour Economy NSW. The refreshed strategy builds on the work done by the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner over the last few years, and sets out a new vision for the state’s vibrant nocturnal landscape. Priorities include enabling globally acclaimed coordinated precincts, empowering the 24-hour economy workforce, supporting safety, mobility, access and inclusion, and leading with authentic storytelling, especially from First Nations perspectives >> https://lnkd.in/gxek-Fnb 🥁 The Music Strategy, presented by Sound NSW. Launching next week, the strategy will outline NSW Government objectives and priorities for contemporary music, setting a clear vision for growth and development over the next 10 years. Key themes include building a better, more viable music industry, growing audiences for NSW music, and strengthening our communities with music >> https://lnkd.in/gHEiGS33 It was fantastic to hear from Stephen Mahoney, Michael Rodrigues, Emily Collins, Kathryn Illy and Jono Cottee on the drivers, opportunities and challenges of these strategies – with special thanks to Nina Macken for expertly moderating the rich, insightful discussion! Thank you to Built. for hosting us at the beautiful Capella Hotels and Resorts, Sydney, and Ethos Urban for supporting this event as our Culture series sponsor. Estelle Grech, Matt Levinson, Aileen Robalino, Amy Nadaskay, Arlita McDonald, Callum Drake, Christopher tooher, Caroline Pegram, Davor Jozic, John O'Callaghan, Libby Harris, Lyndon Gannon, Matthew Proft, Michael Hodgson, Pavneet Girn, Roslyn Mayled, Ruth Carnac, Solomon Charles, Ten-Zen Guh, Vanessa Grimm, Victoria Moxey, Samantha Glass, Sam Nielsen, Stuart Ayres, Luca Frost

🏠 📉 To nobody’s surprise, rental affordability has declined across Greater Sydney in the last year. This is the third year in a row with a downward trend, following a period of improvement from 2017-2021. Even areas that were once the most affordable regions of the city have deteriorated to becoming 'Moderately Unaffordable' or 'Unaffordable', according to SGS Economics and Planning's latest Rental Affordability Index report >> https://lnkd.in/gGV6xxcc The Rental Affordability Index is a price index for housing rental markets. It's a concise indicator of rental affordability relative to household incomes, applied to geographic areas across Australia. Greater Sydney has an index score of 99 – noting that 80-100 indicates a situation of unaffordable rents, with households paying between 30-38% of their income on rent. Unveiling the report's key insights sparked a sobering yet critical discussion led by Ellen Witte, Kishan Ratnam, Trina Jones, Tom Loomes, Alison Holloway, John Engeler and Estelle Grech, who unpacked the current state of Sydney's rental unaffordability at our recent online event. Some key takeaways: ➡️ The average rental household in Greater Sydney spends around 30% of its total income on rent. This share is much higher for lower-income households, meaning there is a significant proportion of the renting population in ‘Unaffordable’ to ‘Extremely Unaffordable’ rental agreements. Keep in mind: housing stress occurs when a low-income household spends more than 30% of its gross income on housing >> https://lnkd.in/gGV6xxcc ➡️ Ensuring we have a viable rental market is critical to the whole health of the housing ecosystem. When we think about affordability, looking at the rental market is important: people on the lowest incomes who are waiting for social housing are waiting in the rental market. ➡️ A healthy rental market is a diverse one. While increasing the supply of private rentals is essential, it's just as important to expand housing options beyond detached homes and high-rise apartments. People want homes that suit their lifestyle in places they love, and this means fostering a diverse range of housing types across all LGAs in NSW. From cooperative housing to build-to-rent and co-housing, creating more choices can meet the needs of a wider range of renters. Read SGS Economics and Planning's 2024 Rental Affordability Index report >> https://lnkd.in/gGV6xxcc Special thanks to Gilbert + Tobin for supporting our event. Rebecca Pinkstone, Harri Bancroft, Jo Noesgaard, Michael Bishop, Robert Snelling, Kirsty Vogel, Brock Cauchi, Stacey McMasters, Alex Longley, Matilda Sutherland, Dr. Alice Clark, Ten-Zen Guh, Shelter NSW, Homes NSW, Beyond Bank Australia

Today's announcement of a massive rezoning that will unlock almost 60,000 homes and over 100,000 jobs around high-quality public transport nodes is exactly the kind of bold thinking we advocated for in our Rethinking Station Precincts report.   Notably, this includes one of the largest affordable housing schemes we've seen so far from the NSW Government. While we hoped for higher targets, and query the 3% affordable housing rate, it still represents a significant step forward and could set the stage for a major cultural shift: that rezonings should consistently deliver more affordable housing in future developments.   The government's quick turnaround on this is also worth celebrating – a rarity and a positive precedent for moving forward on critical planning reforms.   Of course, the devil is in the detail. We’ll be diving into the specifics over coming days, particularly how these rezonings address access to essential social infrastructure like public spaces and schools.   For now, this is exactly the step we need to be taking to tackle Sydney's chronically unaffordable housing , and we look forward to seeing how this shapes the future of housing and infrastructure in NSW. Read more on the TOD Accelerated Precincts here >> https://lnkd.in/gzf6wmjM Read our Rethinking Stations Precinct report here >> https://lnkd.in/gQMC-uKE Paul Scully, Paul Levins, Kate Bryant, Estelle Grech, Chris Minns, James Cullen, NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, Kiersten Fishburn, Eamon Waterford, James Rosenwax, James Grant, Giulia Vignaroli, Stephen Taylor, Kevin Brake, Michael Kurtz, Andrew Cortese, Mark Gilder, Christopher Kelly, Thomas Hale, David Tickle, Ben Hendriks, Joe Bell, Pat Fensham, Alison Holloway, Ben Taylor, Tom Loomes, Yvette Carr

⏳ 2025 brings us to a critical juncture for Sydney. In 2025, we will be 25 years into the new century. We will have 25 years left to hit net zero. There will be 25 months before the next NSW state election, and we have a federal election looming. We have big decisions in front of us. The choices we make will have profound impacts on climate change, housing affordability, productivity and social equity not just for Sydney, but for Australia as a whole. Join us at the 2025 Sydney Summit on 4 February, which will focus on the theme 'No time to waste'. We will explore how to solve Sydney’s most urgent challenges, balancing economic and political cycles and the urgency of harsh climate realities and growing inequality. Hear from speakers including: • Kiersten Fishburn (Secretary, NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure)  • The Hon. Matt Kean (Chair of the Climate Change Authority) • Luci Ellis (Group Chief Economist, Westpac) • Grace Vegesana (National Director, Australian Youth Climate Coalition) • Alex McDonald (Managing Director, Orchard Talent Group) • Prof. Elizabeth Hill (Deputy Director, Australian Centre for Gender Equality and Inclusion at Work, and Professor of Political Economy, University of Sydney) • Janice Lee (Managing Director, Scyne Advisory)  + more to be announced. 🎟️ Get tickets now >> https://lnkd.in/g7Wr7HtB 💡 Plus, got a big idea for Sydney? Apply now to present on the Summit stage >> https://lnkd.in/gKjFuuWj Special thanks to our event sponsors, Sydney Water, Scyne Advisory and Ipsos Australia. Eamon Waterford, Jeremy Gill, Hannah Jamieson, Cassie Newman, Roslyn Poulos, Sam Kernaghan, Harri Bancroft, Estelle Grech, Rosie Oldfield, Zoe Loveday, Roch Cheroux, Samantha Glass, International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), Michael Rose, Christine Covington, Daniel Mookhey, Chris Minns, Jo Haylen, Paul Scully, Prue Car, Penny Sharpe, John Graham

🚶🚲 Walk, bike, and watch the profits roll in! Our latest research, in partnership with AECOM, highlights the often-overlooked benefits of upgrading streets for walking and cycling: ➡️ People who walk or bike spend more money than businesses expect ➡️ People who walk to their high street visit more frequently and spend more ➡️ Bike parking is more efficient and profitable than car parking ➡️ Walkable and bikeable street upgrades increase customer visits ➡️ Walkable and bikeable streets have higher property values ➡️ Perceptions of bike infrastructure become positive after installation. With new bike lanes in planning or construction in different parts of Sydney, the evidence shows walkable and bikeable streets create thriving local businesses and vibrant communities. Read more in our factsheet >> https://lnkd.in/g-pGc9nr Harri Bancroft, Giulia Vignaroli, Harshitha Giriyapura, Stephen Callaghan, James Grant, James Rosenwax, Daniel Sobkowski, Fiona Campbell, Sara Stace, Bicycle NSW, Jo Haylen, Sebastian Smyth, Estelle Grech, Walk Sydney, Transport for NSW, Jeremy Gill

The cost of housing is the biggest issue everyone in Sydney can agree on, and it's a crisis that's been a long time coming, with the rental affordability index tracking the growing pressures over the past decade - there’s no better opportunity to understand the key drivers of the crisis. With disruptions to public transport, we've switched this event to online - if you're interested in joining the conversation, register here >> https://lnkd.in/gdUqchcc Produced annually by National Shelter and SGS Economics and Planning, the rental affordability index has become a key resource for understanding the way rental affordability is shifting and changing across Australia. SGS's Ellen Witte and Kishan Ratnam will provide a briefing on the index, followed by a panel featuring NSW Rental Commissioner Trina Jones, alongside Alison Holloway, John Engeler, Tom Loomes and Estelle Grech, to discuss the evolution of the private rental market, its social and economic impacts, and policy solutions to help ease the housing affordability crisis moving forward. NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, Kiersten Fishburn, Paul Scully, Paul Levins, Kate Bryant, Homes NSW, Shelter NSW, Cassie Newman, Roslyn Poulos, Cathryn Callaghan

Take a look at this stunning new walking and bike riding track set to go into construction in Parramatta, connecting the M4 and Parramatta Valley bike links >> https://lnkd.in/gMK6VjRi The new path will weave its way through tree canopy and wildlife – including habitat for scarlet robins and grey-headed flying foxes – and aims to improve access to the green corridor from Parramatta River to the path that runs alongside the M4. Designs have been approved for the first of the three-stage, 4.5km Duck River Nature Trail, starting at Silverwater Park. The plans include separate paths for pedestrians and cyclists, a new dedicated bike path under Silverwater Bridge, bike parking, seats, lighting, a water fountain and more trees. Later stages will look to improve safety and amenity for pedestrians and cyclists on the streets of Silverwater, where the foreshore is inaccessible, as well as building a new walking and cycling bridge over Duck Creek and concrete paths and boardwalks along the river. Parramatta council has set a target to increase bike transportation to at least 5% of all work trips, and 10% of those ending in Parramatta CBD, by 2043, with the endorsed Parramatta Bike Plan 2024 setting out almost 20km of new bike paths over the next 3 years - read the plan here >> https://lnkd.in/gPWF3hvR Gail Connolly PSM, Martin Zaiter, Donna Davis, City of Parramatta, McGregor Coxall, Adrian McGregor, Harri Bancroft, Bicycle NSW, WSYD Moving, David Burns, Transport for NSW, Jo Haylen, Josh Murray

Six beautiful designs have been announced as winners of the state's pattern book design competition, setting the scene for Sydney's next generation of terrace houses to start rolling out from mid-2025 >> https://lnkd.in/g9E5pMzt They're matched with a new Housing Delivery Authority, designed to oversee new housing developments above an estimated development cost of $60 million (on average 100 or more homes) in Greater Sydney (and approx. $30 million (on average 40 or more homes) in regional NSW). A new pathway will allow selected projects that would deliver significant housing uplift, but require more significant rezonings, to go through a NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure led fast track rezoning pathway instead of a council process. Back to the pattern book, the point here is that good design doesn’t have to be exclusive or expensive. This pattern book is about giving everyone access to great design, with great value for money – not only on the sticker price of building a home, but the cost of living in it over time. There will be opportunities to see the designs before they are rolled out across Sydney, with display homes to be built on five government-owned sites, and a people’s choice vote will also be held to find the most popular design >> https://lnkd.in/gWMkJ2yf Andrew Burges, Kiersten Fishburn, Government Architect NSW, Chris Minns, Paul Scully, Paul Levins, Kate Bryant, Officer Woods Architects, Other Architects, NMBW Architecture Studio, Andrew Burges Architects, Neeson Murcutt Neille, Finding Infinity, Homes NSW, Landcom, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, Carla Armanet GAICD, Philip Thalis, Jennifer McMaster, Michael Mossman, Estelle Grech, Housing Now!, David Borger, Simon Draper, Tom Gellibrand

Sydney has less space than ever for making creative work, and that has to change if we're going to have a city with the originality, surprise, delight and resilience that so many of us want in the places we live. That was the clear message at the launch of our report, Making it in Sydney, today at the extraordinary White Bay Power Station. Report author Matt Levinson outlined the report's key moves to protect and make more space for creative work, after laying out core findings on the challenges workers are facing due to the rising cost of rehearsal spaces, art studios, recording facilities and other creative workspaces. Sydney is holding onto its place as the nation's creative centre, but the workforce is getting smaller - if we're going to do something about this, we need to do it now. As Matt said, the concern for us as a city is that original local work, which tells our stories and is inherently risky, gets put on the backburner, as workers turn to more stable jobs or move town, and programmers and bookers go with proven global or legacy products that come with a lower risk profile.   It was fantastic to hear from Sebastien Ricard, who took us on a journey through his three decade career reshaping and rethinking industrial buildings to create some of WilkinsonEyre's most significant projects, including Magna, The Crystal and Battersea.   They were joined by Roslyn Mayled, Anita Mitchell, Daniel Bourne, Ryan Thomas and Erin Henshaw-Hill for a rich discussion on the steps we need to take to open up more creative workspace.   Read the report >> https://lnkd.in/e4qMeM-Z Read the Herald's coverage here >> https://lnkd.in/eVgYjzMc   Special thanks to Anita, Annie Tennant, Natasha Mitchell, Craig Donarski, Adam Shumack and all at Placemaking NSW, what better place to have this conversation than White Bay, revived as a creative and cultural hub after years of neglect – a fantastic example of what we need more of in our city. And to Erin, Nina Macken, Arlita McDonald, Jim Murray, Yvette Carr and the team at Ethos Urban, thanks so much for your support, it's hugely appreciated. Megan Gorrey, Ash Nicholson, Michelle Tabet GAICD, Hahna Busch, Phoebe Ludemann, Ianto Ware, Lisa Colley, Patrick Lebon, Aileen Robalino, Augusta Supple, Gini Sinclair, Cara Wood, Dr Brett Pollard, Gunika Singh, Matthew Sheargold, Amy Nadaskay, Dominique Broomfield, Jannah Beth, Connor Mackenzie, Ebony Wightman, Nathan Kaw, Cassie Newman, Tess Lloyd, James Winter

🎨💸 Creatives spend more than 60% of their income on rent. At the same time, Sydney’s cultural workforce is shrinking faster than the national average. Creativity is being priced out of our city, and the need for affordable creative spaces is urgent. Our new Making it in Sydney report outlines four key strategies to safeguard and grow creative workspaces, including protecting existing spaces, supporting creative operators, planning for future needs, and providing new spaces through innovative policies >> https://lnkd.in/g8tkRxsH Key recommendations include: ➡️ Protect what we’ve got. Because it takes a long time to properly establish affordable creative workspaces, the best spaces are the ones that already exist – and where they exist, we should protect and support them. ➡️ Back creative space operators to succeed. There’s no boom in creative workspace without a pool of viable operators to run those spaces. ➡️ Plan for what we will need. We need clear and specific guidance on what creative workspace is needed and where, to translate goodwill and good intentions from public and private sector actors into opportunities to address identified gaps. ➡️ Provide new creative workspace. Three key actions will help: the NSW Government’s review of under-utilised property, the creation of a Greater Sydney Creative Land Trust, and the opportunity to deliver creative infrastructure where growth is underway through development. Read the full report >> https://lnkd.in/g8tkRxsH Ian Devereux, Courtney Westbrook, Ash Nicholson, Peter Sabbagh, Sébastien Desnoux, James Winter, Patrick Lebon, Augusta Supple, Aileen Robalino, Sophia Kouyoumdjian, Lisa Colley, Ianto Ware, Gini Sinclair, Erin Henshaw-Hill, Lucy Band, Nina Macken, Yvette Carr, Jim Murray, Catriona Burgess, Alix Smith, Dr Brett Pollard, Gunika Singh, Chris Shapones, Hahna Busch, Matthew Sheargold, Amy Nadaskay, Jannah Beth, Caroline Butler-Bowdon, Michael Bishop, Michael Dagostino, Connor Mackenzie, Ebony W., Nathan Kaw, Jarrad Sheather, Naomi Bower, Sebastien Ricard, Matt Levinson, Roslyn Mayled, Ryan Thomas