Aussie home loan customers believe that independent experts should have the final decision on new housing developments in New South Wales (NSW), rather than council members, according to research conducted by Auspoll.
Carried out on behalf of the Property Council of Australia, the research revealed that 78 percent of the 1,000 homeowners polled wanted power to be taken away from councillors when it comes to giving approval for new building projects.
About 83 percent feel that using independent panels keeps politics outs of decision making, while 88 percent said these groups provided better transparency.
Glenn Byres, Executive Director of NSW, said the research results speak volumes. He noted that “the role of the independent planning panels should be retained and consolidated in any new planning system to emerge in NSW.”
Based on the eighth annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, properties in the country are among the most expensive in the world, in which one of the key factors cited for lack of development is the strict planning regulations.
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