The Business Council welcomes the passage through the NSW Parliament of landmark housing and planning reform legislation, which is a significant milestone to support housing supply, investment and productivity.
BCA Chief Executive Bran Black said the Planning Systems Reforms Bill sent a strong signal that NSW is committed to improving its planning system and removing the unnecessary delays and complexity that have hampered housing delivery and business investment.
“The passage of this legislation is a positive and necessary step for NSW that will mean more homes are built. For too long, slow and uncertain planning and approvals have made it harder to deliver homes, infrastructure and jobs,” Mr Black said.
“There are few more important tasks than getting new homes approved and built, and we strongly welcome this legislation and the bipartisan support for its passage.
In the BCA’s latest 2025 Regulation Rumble report, jurisdictions were ranked by reference to planning systems, licensing requirements, taxes and business-facing regulatory burdens.
The report found that while NSW has begun to take action on planning and approvals, its planning system remained in need of significant improvement.
“Jurisdictions with more efficient planning systems secure more business investment and better outcomes for workers and communities,” Mr Black said.
Mr Black emphasised that the passage of legislation is only the beginning — success will depend on how effectively the reforms are executed.
“Now the real work begins — turning policy into faster approvals, more housing supply and a planning system that supports business and community growth.” “We hope that if implemented well, NSW can set a benchmark for other jurisdictions — showing how reform can unlock growth, support homes and improve productivity,” Mr Black said.