Friday 7 August 2026 – New AMPLIFY research reveals a $265 million-a-year opportunity for NSW by fixing the planning and decision-making system to deliver homes faster.
The Density Bargain, Australia’s largest study of community attitudes to density, found four in five Sydneysiders support housing growth, the highest in the country.
Yet a minority of objectors are stalling development projects, costing homebuyers and developers $236 million a year in approval delays and NSW councils about $29 million a year in legal expenses and appeals.
AMPLIFY Chief Policy and Research Officer Dr Rory Gallagher said reforming the planning system to harness the strong but conditional public support for density will help solve the housing shortage.
“Most Sydneysiders are neither NIMBYs nor YIMBYs but pragmatic supporters of density done well. This is a huge opportunity for NSW, delivering new homes faster in places where people want to live and saving $265 million a year,” Dr Gallagher said.
The research found Sydneysiders support housing growth when it contributes to thriving communities with better infrastructure. This includes affordable housing for essential workers (90 per cent), more green space (83 per cent) and supports for thriving local businesses (83 per cent). Support falls to just 43 per cent when residents believe density will worsen congestion.
Support is also strong for a range of housing types, including granny flats, duplexes, terraces and townhouses (81-86 per cent) and low-rise apartments (78 per cent). While support falls for both mid-rise (63 per cent) and high-rise apartments (50 per cent), it is still well above the national average of 50 per cent and 38 per cent respectively.
“Instead of fighting over density one street at a time, councils should work with representative groups of residents to settle the major choices upfront: where new housing goes, what form it takes, and what infrastructure and neighbourhood benefits come with it,” Dr Gallagher said.
“Once that agreement is embedded in local planning rules, developments that comply should be able to proceed without the same issues being fought all over again. Communities get greater certainty that promised benefits will arrive, while councils, homebuyers and builders get a faster and more predictable approval system.”
Committee for Sydney CEO Eamon Waterford said: “This research shows the simple YIMBY v NIMBY dichotomy isn't real - rather the majority of Sydneysiders support growth and change if it's supported by infrastructure and amenity.
“The data is definitive - just 15 per cent support housing delivered without the supportive infrastructure, open space and community connection people want, but density done well is supported by a huge 74 per cent of the population.”
AMPLIFY’s research informed the Productivity Commission’s interim inquiry into housing supply, which identified planning restrictions and slow approvals as barriers to building more homes.
The NSW Government’s own reforms are moving in the same direction, including their recent announcement requiring councils to maintain 30 years of zoned, feasible housing capacity.
AMPLIFY’s research also recommends:
- Linking housing growth to infrastructure delivery by ensuring additional homes are matched with funded commitments for public transport, roads and local services.
- Making growth work for communities by delivering visible improvements such as more green space, stronger local businesses and better community amenities.
- Equipping councils to deliver by providing funding, specialist expertise and shared planning tools, while requiring state and federal governments to make clear infrastructure and service commitments.
“Getting these settings right could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year to NSW and deliver more new homes in established areas. This is a genuine opportunity to build on the NSW Government's practical reforms already under way, mobilise public support and get more homes built, faster. We have no choice but to get this right,” Dr Gallagher said.
AMPLIFY will present its findings at the Housing Now! Conference 2026 today.
Read the full The Density Bargain report.
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Media contact
Rosemarie Lentini | media@amplifyaus.org | 0460 428 917