Why Sydney Housing Is Broken (And Why 5% Deposits Won’t Fix It)

January 6

27 mins

Episode Description

In this weeks episode, the nerds sits down with NSW Liberal Party Minister Mark Speakman to unpack what’s really driving Sydney’s housing crisis and why “quick fix” solutions like 5% deposit schemes may actually make affordability worse.

From feasibility and planning delays to the tax and charge load baked into new homes, this conversation breaks down the supply side of housing in plain English and explains what would need to change for Sydney (and NSW) to materially increase housing delivery over the next decade.

We cover:

Why Sydney is now one of the most unaffordable housing markets in the world
The real bottleneck holding back supply
How government taxes and charges can make up 25-40%+ of a new home’s cost
Why 5% deposit schemes can push up prices and increase risk for first home buyer

Timestamps:

03:26 - Why Sydney is now “severely unaffordable”

05:38 - The real bottleneck: financial feasibility

06:37 - The impact of taxes and charges on new builds

07:13 - Will planning reforms actually speed up supply?

08:04 - Community consultation vs delivery

10:43 - Why density must come with infrastructure

11:46 - The quickest lever: easing state taxes and charges

13:53 - Why 5% deposit schemes are “almost cruel”

16:29 - Is Sydney’s price growth partly “normal” for a global city?

18:33 - What policy changes could reduce the tax burden

19:33 - Rosehill/Camellia: why the project stalled

21:19 - What success looks like by 2029

23:28 - The construction workforce problem

If you’re serious about investing in property, you can’t ignore the policy mechanics shaping supply, prices, and feasibility. Watch this episode to understand what’s really holding Sydney back, and what reforms could actually move the needle.

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