Looking to build a house? Do it in western Sydney.

That was the message from NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes who last month called on home builders to develop new properties in the west. News Corp reported that the state government was encouraging more people to head to outer parts of Sydney to build new houses.

“Whether it’s the northwest, the southwest or the greater Macarthur region, we need more homes for a growing population,” Mr Stokes said.

“…we need more homes for a growing population.”

According News Corp’s report, there was enough land in Sydney and the Central Coast for 115,000 new homes. Of that, 19,180 could be built in the Camden and Campbelltown areas.

We support the Mr Stokes’ call for more homeowners to come to the Macarthur region and build houses. Home ownership in Sydney has become increasingly difficult, with CoreLogic RP Data stats showing the median home value has risen 15.5% in 12 months to $852,000.

The Macarthur region offers more affordable options for families who have been priced out of the metropolitan areas. For under the median home value, buyers can secure a substantial block of land to build a free-standing home. Buyers are, therefore, getting more bang for their buck when they buy in south-west Sydney. There is no better time to build in Macarthur than now, with many key infrastructure upgrades being proposed and/or are currently under construction.

These include road and rail upgrades, and plans for schools, hospitals, open spaces, and education and community facilities. We are excited about what is to come, but we believe there is plenty of scope for opportunity. Improving roads is good, but they may not yield long-term benefits when population growth is taken into consideration. What our region needs most is a fast and reliable rail network to cut long commute times, thereby improving liveability for locals.

Moreover, there are also needs to be more jobs in all sectors created within the western Sydney region, so residents can live and work locally. Encouraging more people to build in the Macarthur region is a great initiative, but we hope the government continues to invest money in improving infrastructure.

This will ensure the area is a great place to live in for current and future residents.