Mrs SALLY QUINNELL (Camden) (14:46): My question is addressed to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces. Will the Minister update the House on the importance of the New South Wales Government pursuing housing and planning reform?

Mr PAUL SCULLY (Wollongong—Minister for Planning and Public Spaces) (11:46): There is no controversy about this issue, so it should be straightforward! I thank the member for Camden for her question. She has her finger on the pulse of the need to make sure communities are well looked after. She is doing a great job closing the infrastructure gap left by her predecessor—whoever he was. It is essential that the Government undertakes bold and ambitious planning reforms so that more people in New South Wales have a home. Sydney ranks as one of the least affordable cities on the planet, and tens of thousands of people leave the State each year simply because housing is out of reach in New South Wales.

Of course, we did not get here overnight and we are not going to fix the problem overnight. But this Government has taken the responsible course of action of getting housing back on track in this State by reforming the much‑criticised New South Wales planning system. These reforms should have happened years ago. They are important because they introduce density over major transport locations, as well as the low- and mid-rise homes that are also desperately needed. As members might be aware, I am an avid reader. I read from a wide range of sources. This morning as I was reading the papers, I came across an interesting statement. It said, "Without drastically increasing supply, we're blocking an entire generation of Australians from home ownership."

The SPEAKER: The member for Dubbo will come to order.

Mr PAUL SCULLY: That sounded like something the Premier, one of the members behind me or even I would say. But it did not come from a Labor member. It was from the Opposition's yimby-in-chief, Chris Rath, in the other place. He follows on from the Leader of the Opposition, who said in response to our planning reforms aimed at getting more people into well-located, well-designed and well-built homes, "The Opposition is in furious agreement with ramping up housing supply." He clearly recognises the importance of our reforms. I recently read another piece inThe Guardian. Among other things, it said:

The ability to own a home taps into deeper themes of fairness and opportunity. … The Liberal party needs to be bold and tackle this issue at the root: supply. High density housing, done well in areas well-serviced by transport links and public utilities, is the path forward.

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Wahroonga to order for the first time. I call the member for Dubbo to order for the second time.

Mr PAUL SCULLY: It continues:

It may not be politically expedient in the short term. … But it is the right thing to do to broaden out opportunity and to ensure that Australians my age have a fair go at building a future for themselves and their families.

That piece was written by Chanum Torres. Who is Chanum Torres? He is the President of the NSW Young Liberals and is more in touch with the world than any of those opposite. It is not just young people, tradies, essential workers and the Government that understand the need to do something about planning and housing.

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Hornsby to order for the first time.

Mr PAUL SCULLY: The Government's reforms are important because they are calling out the people who need to be converted: the New South Wales Liberal Party.

Mrs Sally Quinnell: I seek an extension of time to receive more information.

The SPEAKER: Can I take a moment to consider it?

Mr PAUL SCULLY: Don't take too long, Mr Speaker. You'll enjoy this.

The SPEAKER: A further two minutes is granted.

Mr PAUL SCULLY: The battle within the Liberal Party over housing, which the Premier referred to earlier in question time, is real. There is an unnamed group, led by the member for Manly—who, despite playing politics with the issue in question time yesterday, recognises the Liberals need to change—against the young fogies of the Liberal Party, those with the attitudes of yesteryear, young beyond their years.

Mr Alister Henskens: Point of order: It is direct relevance. This has nothing to do with the question, which is about pursuing housing and planning reform. The Minister is talking about Liberal Party machinations, which has nothing to do with the question.

The SPEAKER: I understand the point of order. I have ruled on this point before. If Ministers are directly relevant early in their answer, they have passed the threshold and latitude is extended for the rest of their answer. There is no point of order. The Minister has the call.

Mr PAUL SCULLY: There we have it writ large. It is the nimby versus the yimby. That is the Liberal Party division writ large. If some members opposite had their way, despite many wanting to get behind Labor's planning reforms—they do not know exactly where they want to go—they would lock young people out of their suburbs. They want to lock tradies, truckies and takeaway store workers out of their suburbs. They want to lock health workers and hospitality workers out of their suburbs. In fact, if some members opposite had their way, they would seal their suburb off from the rest of the world like inThe Truman Show. The Government will not be doing that. It will give the young people who spend much of their weekends in lines with hundreds of others trying to get a home the hope they need and the opportunity they were denied by the previous Government for a decade. It is time for reform; it is time to get housing right in New South Wales. That is exactly what this Government will do.