Port Stephens Council has endorsed the new Local Housing Strategy, setting the blueprint for future housing growth across Port Stephens.
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The Strategy has been developed to meet the current and future housing needs of Port Stephens which is expected to grow by 20,000 new residents over the next 20 years.
Port Stephens deputy mayor Leah Anderson said that housing is one of the biggest issues facing the Port Stephens community.
"For the past few years, we know that the lack of affordable housing has been impacting our local community. As house prices continue to rise, more and more people have been forced to look outside of Port Stephens for a place to live," she said.
"We know that there's areas where we've got opportunities for more social and affordable housing, definitely Raymond Terrace being the prime one."
Strategy and environment section manager Brock Lamont said it's a pretty alarming statistic for Raymond to be at the top of the list for wait times in the Hunter and also the biggest increase in wait times in the Hunter.
"We're looking at how we can get better quality dwellings in Raymond Terrace and ensuring that social housing doesn't look any different to regular housing," he said.
Cr Anderson added that there is a lot of state government land in Raymond Terrace. "It's a prime opportunity for this type of development," she said.
The massive Kings Hill development will contribute 700 houses for 1425 people.
Small-to-mid sized housing developments will contribute about 450 houses for about 930 people, including The Royal Precinct, Richardson Road and the Yarramindi Precinct.
The Port Stephens Local Housing Strategy and the Port Stephens Housing Supply Plan focus on addressing issues around housing diversity, affordability and supply.
It identifies what types of housing can be built, where new homes can be located and what's required to support new development.
"This strategy identifies opportunities for more town houses and apartments in our town centres close to shops, services and public transport," Cr Anderson said.
Over the past eight months, council has engaged the community online and face to face and Cr Anderson said council heard that roads, health services, schools and public spaces all need to grow to meet future demand.
"The community has made it very clear that if we are going to increase housing, we need to also plan for the infrastructure required to support the population growth," she said.
"This feedback has been included in the strategy and we'll be working to secure funding to help deliver these important services.
Laura Rumbel
Laura Rumbel is a journalist who has always called Maitland home. She has been with the Maitland Mercury since 2022, and is passionate about all areas of local news.
Laura Rumbel is a journalist who has always called Maitland home. She has been with the Maitland Mercury since 2022, and is passionate about all areas of local news.
