Council
12 July, 2026
Up to 400 new homes planned for Moss Vale
Wingecarribee Shire council will this week (Wednesday) decide whether to support planning proposals that could pave the way for around 400 new homes in Moss Vale.
Wingecarribee Shire council will this week (Wednesday) decide whether to support planning proposals that could pave the way for around 400 new homes in Moss Vale.
The proposals for what is known as ‘spot rezoning’ come as the much larger Bowral South development remains bogged down in studies, which have cost ratepayers a gross amount over $600,000.
One development within the Moss Vale West new living area is located on Broughton Street. A proposal for the site was rejected by the Southern Joint Regional Planning Panel in January 2018.
The panel, chaired by former NSW Environment Minister Pam Allan, found the proposal lacked sufficient site-specific merit. It also cited impacts on the rural landscape, the visual catchment of significant heritage items, endangered ecological communities and wildlife corridors.
The panel also raised concerns about Moss Vale's sewer capacity and increasing traffic congestion on Argyle Street.
In December 2025 councillors deferred another rezoning proposal at Mittagong until the shire wide Local Housing Strategy could be reviewed. That review has yet to commence.
The new proposal for the 30 hectares (75 acres) on Broughton Street is for the land to be rezoned into lot sizes of 500m2 to 1000m2 for a total of approximately 200 dwellings. The current Housing Strategy anticipated 100 dwellings.
The developer's planning report appears to acknowledge constraints but claims Council has indicated the Moss Vale Sewage Treatment Plant will be upgraded to a capacity equivalent of 20,000 people, with future expansion to 36,000.
Moss Vale’s current population is about 9,500.
The report also identifies the Spring Street railway underpass as a traffic hotspot and suggests Council could consider making it one-way.
The new plan also makes amendments to protect sensitive environmental subjects.
The second planning proposal covers about 35 hectares (87 acres) of the HarperCollins site adjoining the Ashbourne estate. It proposes a mix of lot sizes between 300 and 460 square metres, with an average of 390 square metres.
If ultimately approved the proposal would link the township of Moss Vale with the ongoing Ashbourne development.
The number of proposed dwellings is not disclosed but is estimated to be about 200.
Wednesday's meeting will test whether councillors are prepared to engage in spot rezoning and release additional housing land now or wait until the promised review of the Local Housing Strategy has been completed.
The Southern Wire will report the outcome of the meeting.
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