How desperate is the NSW government to build housing? This unassuming site may provide a clue
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- NSW government fast‑tracks the Junction Street seniors housing project under the state significant development pathway, a $80 million, 12‑bed aged‑care facility plus 71 independent units.
- Paul Scully – planning minister – must decide whether to approve the development after the Conservation Programs, Heritage and Regulation group warned it cannot mitigate the “high flood hazard” and poses an “unacceptable risk to life”.
- Conservation Programs, Heritage and Regulation – the environment department’s CPHR group – issued a final letter in February stating the site is “the most highly flood‑constrained location in the area” and that design measures are insufficient.
- NSW State Emergency Service – warned the plan would “significantly increase risk to life” by adding a vulnerable senior population to a basin that serves as a floodway during a probable maximum flood, with limited evacuation routes.
Why it matters: The NSW government aims to deliver 377,000 homes by 2029, and approving the $80 million Junction Street project would boost its housing tally, while exposing seniors to flood risk and setting a precedent for bypassing local council oversight.
