Kiama MP Gareth Ward has called on local decision makers to “be serious about a real agenda” to fix the Housing Crisis. 

Speaking on the floor of Parliament last week, Mr Ward called on Shoalhaven City Council to “work harder” to deliver housing for essential workers. 

“I encourage the Council to work harder with the State in order to achieve greater densities, particularly with things like the expansion of the Shoalhaven Hospital. An extra 800 workers are expected. Where are they going to live?” he said. 

Mr Ward also suggested encouraging more locals to buy their own home would help increase the supply of rental properties. 

“In my area there is no doubt that housing pressures are biting. The average cost of a property in the Kiama area is around $1.3 million. For a lot of young people wanting to get into the market, that is a real challenge.” 

“We need to think about the fact that encouraging people into home ownership – actually owning their own home – will also free up rental properties that can be part of the rental market,” he said. 

Mr Ward’s intervention follows the release of new data from Domain showing the average rent for a house in Kiama has climbed to $673 per week, a 29.3 per cent increase in the last five years.