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The state government has launched a new action plan aimed at unlocking more industrial land to support economic activity and generate materials for new housing developments.
The NSW government has launched its Industrial Lands Action Plan which will establish a new approach to plan, secure and manage the supply of industrial land to deliver new jobs, generate investment and build more homes.
The action plan is focused on opening up and increasing the supply of land which is zoned for industrial or similar purposes, involving facilities such as depots, distribution centres, factories and warehouses.
Speaking on the new plan, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, said the “new statewide approach will plot the steps to help us grow our industrial pipeline across the state”.
This process will occur by way of a new system which will designate industrial land as “state, regional or locally significant” to ensure that each lot plays a “specific role in supporting economic activity and long-term growth”, and help to guide infrastructure investments that will maximise the potential of each lot.
To accomplish this, the Industrial Lands Action Plan outlines a series of initiatives aimed at boosting the supply of industrial land, including:
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Implementing planning policy amendments to increase flexibility on land zoned for industrial purposes.
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Enacting an Employment Land Development Program to coordinate infrastructure investment for the supply of industrial land over the next two decades.
The plan will also give industry, council and developers the ability to see where there is “underutilised or isolated industrial lands” that could possibly be converted for purposes such as housing and alternative employment uses.
Even with the services conducted on industrial land being integral for the creation of ongoing jobs and the production and delivery of construction materials for building more homes, the NSW government noted that the state’s industrial sector is currently facing escalating land values, increased rents and in some locations almost zero vacancies in industrial lands.
Minister Scully noted that “in 2024 alone, industrial related activities contributed approximately $174 billion in gross value to the NSW economy”, and added that unlocking the supply of industrial land would help to “drive investment, create jobs and support the construction industry in the delivery of housing”.
“More services and development ready industrial lands are required to shore up the supply chain for the housing and construction materials we need to build affordable, well-located houses across NSW,” minister Scully said.
The Property Council of Australia (PCA) welcomed the NSW government’s release of the Industrial Lands Action Plan, with the peak body’s NSW executive director, Katie Stevenson, emphasising that the PCA has long lobbied for a “comprehensive strategy to tackle the chronic challenges of industrial land supply in NSW”.
While Stevenson described the plan as a “much-needed step forward for industry”, she emphasised that “swift implementation will be critical for the supply of well-located, well-serviced industrial lands to underpin supply chains, construction materials and housing”.
The director added that the PCA will continue working with the government to address the “urgent needs of industry and the economy” and realise the initiatives outlined in the plan.
“The coming months will be critical to ensuring industrial lands are unlocked so that with the right infrastructure and planning support, we can drive long-term economic and employment growth in NSW,” Stevenson said.
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