OPINION: Across the political spectrum, there are varying views on the role of local government in housing – from exercising its regulatory function in the provision of infrastructure and the zoning of land for development, through to leadership in housing provision at a localised level.
The Local Government Act 2002 does not explicitly set out a role with regard to housing, however section 10 identifies the purpose of local government is “to promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of communities in the present and for the future”. In a rapidly changing policy space, what is the evolving role of local councils in regard to housing?