Central Darling Local Housing Strategy

Client:
Central Darling Shire Council (CDSC)

Year Completed:
Funding secured 2024; project underway in 2025

Location:
Central Darling Shire, NSW

Services/engagement type:
Grant writing and project management

Brief Overview

Central Darling Shire Council is one of the most socio-economically disadvantaged and sparsely populated local government areas in Australia. The region faces severe housing pressures, from shortages and overcrowding to affordability, quality, and suitability issues. Recent natural disasters and infrastructure outages highlighted how vulnerable the community is when safe, resilient housing is lacking.

We worked with Council to secure NSW Government funding and are now supporting delivery of the Shire’s first Local Housing Strategy. The strategy will provide a framework for planning decisions, future housing development, and practical actions to improve housing supply and resilience across the Shire.

Challenge / Context

Council faced growing housing pressures, including shortages for key workers, a lack of affordable and suitable housing for vulnerable residents, and overcrowding in existing stock. These challenges were magnified by major flooding, drought, and telecommunications outages, which left communities isolated for long periods.

Developing a Local Housing Strategy had been identified as a priority, but Council required external support to access funding, design the project, and manage its delivery. The strategy needed to respond to local circumstances while aligning with state policy frameworks and the NSW Government’s Regional Housing Strategic Planning objectives.

Our Approach

We identified the NSW Government’s 2024 Regional Housing Strategic Planning Fund as a suitable opportunity and prepared a strong funding application, tailored to the unique challenges of Central Darling. After securing funding, we:

  • Ran the competitive tender process to appoint an external planning consultant.

  • Provided ongoing project management and liaison between Council, consultants and state agencies.

  • Supported grant acquittal and reporting to ensure compliance.

This approach provided Council with the resources and structure needed to commence the Local Housing Strategy and address long-standing housing barriers.

  • Secured $156,335 in NSW Government funding to develop the Local Housing Strategy.

  • Enabled the project to move from priority concept to funded initiative, despite Council’s limited internal resources.

  • Strengthened Council’s capacity through ongoing project management, ensuring delivery stays on track and aligned with funding requirements.

  • Positioned Council to address critical housing needs with a strategic, evidence-based plan that responds to both local and state priorities.

Outcomes

✓ $156k funding secured

✓ Housing strategy underway

✓ Foundation for addressing critical shortages

*Cover photo courtesy of CDSC