My question is directed to the Premier. The old site of The Forest High School is vacant public land in a prime location next to the Northern Beaches Hospital that has already been rezoned for 1,000 dwellings and a town centre. This is the only site across the northern beaches that can deliver a solution at a scale that would make a dent in the chronic lack of affordable and key worker housing. What is the Government doing to make the most of the opportunity to deliver maximum affordable and key worker housing on the site so that more bus drivers, nurses, police officers and teachers can live in the community where they work?

Mr CHRIS MINNS (Kogarah—Premier): I thank the member for Wakehurst for his question and for his interest in housing. Housing availability for the people of New South Wales has been under enormous pressure. I report to the House some good news about planning and housing in the State. Firstly, housing approvals are up 11 per cent this year compared to the previous 12 months, which is particularly encouraging news given the higher interest rates and resulting dampening of capital investment. As a result of the liberalisation of planning laws in New South Wales, we are seeing an increase in approvals. New South Wales approved more homes than any other State in December and January.

Mr Alister Henskens: You can't live in an approval.

Mr CHRIS MINNS: I acknowledge the interjection. I also report that New South Wales commenced 16,272 new homes in the December quarter of last year. It was the best quarter of any State, and the best quarter New South Wales has had for five years. I thank the member for Wahroonga; I love it when he gives me a softball.

I hear what the member for Wakehurst is saying about the site. I report to the House that there has been a land audit across New South Wales to look at available locations for new housing. A key part of the Building Homes for NSW program has been conducting an audit of land and identifying appropriate sites. To date, the land audit has identified sites capable of delivering 11,400 homes. These sites are in various stages of being transferred to either of the government developers, Homes NSW or Landcom, for delivery as partners of new housing projects for the State. Today I announce that The Forest High School's old site has been declared surplus as part of the land audit. It is no longer needed for school purposes and is therefore suitable for housing in that part of New South Wales. The land audit estimates that approximately 6.3 hectares of the old school site is able to support over 1,000 homes.

Sites like this do not come up very often. We will be launching a registration-of-interest process to develop the site with a focus on maximising the amount of affordable and essential worker housing that can be delivered, including a minimum of 150 new homes for essential workers, while ensuring value for New South Wales taxpayers. The member for Wakehurst has repeatedly mentioned that this is an important part of a diversified labour market and workforce on the northern beaches. We have a desperate need for nurses, bus drivers and police officers to be onsite in that community with access to jobs, which is out of the reach of many families. 

This is a great opportunity to get affordable housing for the community in the northern beaches.

27 May 2026, 11:24.