THE BRIGHTEST minds in the construction, development and real estate industries will brainstorm a solution to the city's housing crisis at the first Tamworth Regional Housing Forum.
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Demand for houses has increased, prices are on the rise, rentals are hard to secure and it's a tight market, Tamworth Business Chamber (TBC) president Stephanie Cameron said.
"I know for a fact there's a lot of people out there who are struggling to find a place to live," she said
"We need to solve the situation and we need to solve it before it gets really out of hand.
"If we head towards 100,000 people, we need the housing industry to have plans in place to make sure we keep abreast of that."
Blueprint 100, the document that paves the way for Tamworth's future, has outlined an aspirational goal of a population of 100,000 people by 2041.
The Australian dream of the four-bed home on a sprawling property might have to change if Tamworth and the region are to keep up with demand, TRC mayor Col Murray said.
"This year we will probably build a record number of houses in Tamworth, that's what the market is suggesting, and it's nowhere near enough," he said.
"It's a wicked problem, it's one that's going to be really challenging to solve and it will still be with us next year and the year after."
High-density housing, dual occupancies, inner-city and shop-top living combined with smaller lot sizes will all be under consideration.
Having lived in a caravan park herself while looking for a permanent home, the council's growth and prosperity director Jacqueline O'Neill knows more than most how difficult it can be to break into the market.
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"At the moment we do have constraints, COVID-19 has produced a trend across regional NSW where we are seeing people move here," she said.
"We want Tamworth and the region to be a livable place, we want to invite those people here and certainly our expectation is that we will continue to grow the region.
"We want to understand what is that constraint, what's the true identification of it and we want to talk to clever people in industry who have amazing ideas to share those."
Key stakeholders will all be at the invitation-only forum, to be hosted on June 24.
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Madeline Link
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
