New South Wales
An ambitious plan to build thousands of new homes was announced in the New South Wales 2024-25 State Budget.
But it excludes people with disability and older people.
For the past two years the NSW Government is one of only two state governments that has refused to sign up to the Silver Livable Housing Design Standards in the National Construction Code – a set of design standards that require new housing developments to offer basic accessibility for all people.
These standards are not a lot to ask – they simply require developers to include things like a step free shower and level entry to the home.
Read the full standard to find out what basic necessities are needed to make NSW homes accessible.
The Australian Building Codes Board modelling for these standards shows it will only add about 1% to the cost of a new build.
These discriminatory housing standards in NSW mean fewer houses are available for people with disability and older people, leaving thousands of Australians unable to live in a home appropriate to their needs across their lifespan.
This forces more people into specialist disability housing or aged care, affecting their quality of life, putting more pressure on the NDIS and increasing the costs for government.
That’s why we’re coming together as a community to call on the NSW State Government to sign the Silver Livable Housing Design Standards mandated in the National Construction Code.
Join us on Tuesday 6 August, as we gather at Parliament House to say enough is enough to housing discrimination in NSW.
KEY DETAILS
When: 10.30am on Tuesday 6 August
Where: Meet at the top of Martin Place, opposite Parliament House, in the Sydney CBD. The exact meeting location is between Phillip St and Macquarie Street – see here on Google Maps. Note: the meeting area is accessible.
Who: People with disability, older people, organisations, advocates and allies.
What to expect: We’ll gather outside, near Parliament House to hear from a few key speakers, and hand our open letter to end discriminatory housing to NSW political leaders.
If accessible housing standards are good enough for Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, Northern Territory and Queensland, why can’t NSW step up and end discriminatory housing?
Sign the open letter to NSW State political leaders
Whether you’re a person with disability, an older Australian, from an advocacy organisation or you’re an ally, your voice matters.