Council
14 August, 2026
Upper Lachlan will need more than 1000 new homes
The Upper Lachlan is expected to need more than 1000 new homes over the next 20 years to cater for forecast population growth.
The Upper Lachlan is expected to need more than 1000 new homes over the next 20 years to cater for forecast population growth.
According to a draft Upper Lachlan Housing Strategy currently on exhibition, the population is expected to grow by 1297 over the next two decades, translating to demand for approximately 1044 new dwellings.
The strategy – prepared for Upper Lachlan Shire Council by Currajong Pty – will allow council to plan for this growth “following consideration of demographic trends and local housing market characteristics”.
One of the strategy’s objectives is to ensure that future growth “best fits the unique character and identity of the area”.
The majority of the dwellings (or approximately 35 per cent) are expected to be needed in around Crookwell – the Upper Lachlan’s main township.
This would equate to approximately 365 new homes over the next 20 years – or 18 new homes per annum.
There is also expected to be strong demand in Gunning (20 per cent or 208 new homes), Collector (15 per cent or 156 new homes) and Taralga (also 15 per cent).
The rest of the demand would be in the shire’s other villages (10 per cent combined) and rural areas (5 per cent).
For Crookwell, the Kialla Road Precinct has been identified as having the most supply with more than 400 lots still available at a minimum size of 2000 square metres.
There is more than 20 years’ worth of supply at this site alone.
However, the draft strategy acknowledges that “concentration of a large supply within a single site introduces risks and limits flexibility in responding to changing housing needs over time”.
It says there is merit to “diversify the supply pipeline and consider other sites for future greenfield subdivision development”.
The draft Upper Lachlan Housing Strategy and associated draft Upper Lachlan Development Control Plan are on exhibition until 5pm on Wednesday, August 26.
The documents can be viewed online at upperlachlan.nsw.gov.au or in hard copy format at council’s Crookwell and Gunning offices during normal business hours.
Upper Lachlan mayor Paul Culhane has thanked those people who attended recent drop-in sessions across the shire.
He said both documents had been reworked following an earlier exhibition period “so they truly represent wishes of our shire” and encouraged people to review the amended documents before August 26 and to comment on anything that they be meaningful to them.
The Mayor thanked council’s planning staff and the consultants Currajong Pty for their work over what he said had been “quite a long period of time”.
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