Confidential NSW audit flags nearly 300 public sites for possible sale, with land worth $1.4 billion under review
Nearly 300 publicly owned sites in New South Wales, with a combined estimated value of more than $1.39 billion, have been identified in a confidential
Nearly 300 publicly owned sites in New South Wales, with a combined estimated value of more than $1.39 billion, have been identified in a confidential land audit that could lead to private sales. The documents, tabled in state parliament, offer the clearest glimpse yet of how much public land the Minns government may move on as it tries to ease a housing crunch.
The analysis shows Landcom and Homes NSW have been testing dozens of properties across the state for development viability. Some sites may still be kept. Others could be sold. The scale is striking.
What the audit shows
Homes NSW compiled a spreadsheet titled “Land audits for Homes NSW” that lists 128 distinct addresses, with a gross estimated value of at least $1.39 billion, according to the analysis referenced in the documents. A separate Landcom spreadsheet, dated June 2 this year, lists 297 sites, though some are neighbouring addresses rather than separate properties.
The land audit was set up to unlock unused or underused government land for housing. In the June 2024 budget, the state said the program would deliver 21,000 “affordable and market” dwellings. That promise now hangs over a much broader pool of land than had previously been public.
Why the land matters
Public land audits have become a familiar tool in housing policy from London to Toronto to Auckland, where governments have looked for ways to squeeze more homes out of land already in public hands. NSW is following that playbook under pressure to find sites quickly, without waiting for large new acquisitions.
But this audit points to a trade-off. Selling land can accelerate development and raise cash. It can also reduce the stock of land that governments can control for long-term housing and community needs.
The documents do not say which sites will ultimately go to market. They do show how far the review has gone. Nearly 300 addresses are now in the frame. That is a lot of land to watch.
