Housing & planning · Inner West Council
Inner West residents get 42 days to comment on proposed housing changes
Our Fairer Future Plan Stage 2 was endorsed for exhibition from 16 September to 28 October 2026, covering 15 suburbs and areas including St Peters, Marrickville and Newtown.
Reporting from draft minutes. Recorded wording may change when confirmed. How this article was prepared
Residents and landowners in 15 Inner West suburbs and areas were allocated a 42-day period to comment on proposed housing changes under Our Fairer Future Plan Stage 2, after Inner West Council endorsed the plan and supporting studies for public exhibition, according to unconfirmed minutes.
The exhibition was scheduled to run from 16 September to 28 October 2026. The areas covered are Annandale, Ashfield, Balmain, Dulwich Hill, Croydon, Enmore, Leichhardt, Lewisham, Lilyfield, Marrickville, Newtown, Petersham, Stanmore, Rozelle and St Peters. The Croydon area includes the future Ashfield to Iron Cove GreenWay.
Council's approved engagement program includes letters to residents and landowners in the areas of investigation, emails to interested Your Say Inner West subscribers, Local Democracy Group convenors and industry professionals, and an updated digital mapping tool to help people look up their property and view the proposed changes.
Your Say Inner West is designated as the primary online information and submissions channel. The approved program also provides for an online survey, written submissions and bookable 15-minute appointments with a planner. Council's resolution provides for 340 of those appointments across ward locations, plus planner drop-ins at its three service centres during the exhibition.
The plan remains a proposal rather than a final housing framework. Council authorised the Director Planning to make editorial, formatting and technical changes before exhibition. A detailed report on feedback, including any proposed amendments, is due back to Council in December 2026 before any submission of the plan to the NSW Government for implementation.
Councillors rejected a proposal for a 90-day exhibition and at least one local forum in each ward. The main exhibition resolution was carried by nine votes to five, according to the unconfirmed minutes. St Peters was dealt with separately because Councillor Jo Carlisle had declared a pecuniary interest. The minutes record that motion as carried by eight votes to five, with Carlisle absent from the vote.
What deserves a closer look
The main exhibition motion and separate St Peters motion were carried; the proposed 90-day exhibition amendment was lost.
Endorsement was for public exhibition, not final adoption of the housing framework.
The minutes record approved exhibition dates and engagement arrangements but do not establish that those activities subsequently occurred.
Questions for follow-up reporting
What amendments, if any, will Council propose in the December engagement outcomes report?
What form will the plan take if Council submits it to the NSW Government after considering the feedback?
What happens next
The approved program schedules public exhibition of Our Fairer Future Plan Stage 2 and supporting studies for 42 days from 16 September to 28 October 2026.
The approved program provides for submissions, planner appointments and service-centre drop-ins during the exhibition.
Council called for a detailed engagement outcomes report, along with any proposed amendments, to return in December 2026.
Any submission of the Council-led plan to the NSW Government for implementation would follow Council's consideration of the engagement outcomes report.
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
The quoted text calls for Council to endorse for exhibition Our Fairer Future Plan 2 and supporting studies across 14 listed suburbs and areas, including Croydon with Iron Cove and the future Ashfield to Iron Cove GreenWay.
Council endorse for exhibition Our Fairer Future Plan 2 – Council's approach for new housing in the Inner West (Our Fairer Future Plan 2), including supporting studies, as shown at Attachment 1 and Appendices 1-7, for the following suburbs and areas in the Inner West Local Government Area: a) Annandale b) Ashfield c) Balmain d) Dulwich Hill e) Croydon- including Iron Cove – future Ashfield to Iron Cove GreenWay Extraordinary Council Meeting 15 September 2026 7 f) Enmore g) Leichhardt h) Lewisham i) Lilyfield j) Marrickville k) Newtown l) Petersham m) Stanmore o) Rozelle 2.
Item 1, main motion, clause 1(a)–(m) and (o)
Open original minutes ↗The minutes record a motion as carried, with nine councillors listed for and five against.
Motion Carried For Motion: Crs Byrne, Carlisle, Clay, D'Arienzo, Fergusson, Howard, Macri, Scott and Smith Against Motion: Crs Antoniou, Atkins, Barlow, Blake and Tastan The amendment below was voted on prior to the above motion and was lost.
Item 1, main motion voting result
Open original minutes ↗The motion endorsed Our Fairer Future Plan Stage 2 and supporting studies for exhibition in St Peters. The minutes record it as carried with eight councillors for, five against and Councillor Carlisle absent.
Councillor Carlisle left the Meeting at 9:59 pm. Extraordinary Council Meeting 15 September 2026 9 Motion (Smith/D'Arienzo) 1. That Council endorse for exhibition Our Fairer Future Plan Stage 2 – Council's approach for new housing in the Inner West (Our Fairer Future Plan Stage 2), including supporting studies, as shown at Attachment 1 and Appendices 1-7, for the following suburb and areas in the Inner West Local Government Area: n) St Peters Motion Carried For Motion: Crs Byrne, Clay, D'Arienzo, Fergusson, Howard, Macri, Scott and Smith Against Motion: Crs Antoniou, Atkins, Barlow, Blake and Tastan Absent: Councillor Carlisle Councillor Carlisle
Item 1, separate St Peters motion and voting result
Open original minutes ↗The quoted provision specifies a 42-day exhibition period from 16 September to 28 October 2026.
4. Council notes the highly successful engagement format of the Our Fairer Future Plan Stage 1 and replicates the format for Our Fairer Future Plan Stage 2 and includes: a) Exhibition period of 42 days from 16 September to 28 October 2026.
Item 1, main motion, clause 4(a)
Open original minutes ↗The engagement provisions include letters to residents and landowners in the areas of investigation, emails to interested subscribers, Local Democracy Group convenors and industry professionals, a property mapping tool, Your Say Inner West as the primary information forum, an online survey and written submissions.
b) Letters will be sent to residents and landowners in the areas of investigation. c) Emails will be sent to interested Your Say Inner West subscribers, Local Democracy Group convenors and industry professionals. d) Collateral including Frequently Asked Questions documentation, a pamphlet or post card to direct residents to the relevant information on the planning changes and to an appropriate drop in session. e) An updated digital mapping tool for Plan 2 will be available upon commencement of the exhibition period. This simple to use tool allows the community to look up their property and see how the proposed changes may affect them f) Your Say Inner West will be the primary forum for the community to access information, key messages and FAQs. g) An online survey plus the opportunity to lodge a written submission will be available via this engagement page. h) Information be available in relevant community languages including Chinese, Greek, Italian and Vietnamese.
Item 1, main motion, clauses 4(b)–(h)
Open original minutes ↗The quoted provision calls for planner sessions in every ward, with 340 bookable 15-minute appointments to discuss the proposed changes.
5. A Briefing Note be provided to Councillors, including a table clearly outlining the changes made to the HIA 1A and 1B deferred sites. 6. "Speak with a Planner" sessions be held in every Ward. Community members will be able pre-book a 15-minute appointment during these sessions to discuss the proposed changes. There will be 340 these 'meet the planner' appointment opportunities.
Item 1, main motion, clause 6
Open original minutes ↗The quoted provision describes planner drop-ins at Council's three service centres between 9.30am and 11.30am every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday throughout the six-week exhibition period.
Service Centre Drop Ins where council planners will be available to speak with members of the community at Council's three Service Centres between 9.30am-11.30am every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday throughout the entire six-week exhibition period.
Item 1, main motion, clause 7
Open original minutes ↗The quoted provisions call for authorising the Director Planning to make editorial, formatting and technical modifications before public exhibition and for an engagement outcomes report to return to Council for consideration in December 2026 before submission of the plan to the NSW Government for implementation.
Council authorise the Director Planning to make any editorial/ formatting/ technical modifications to the package prior to public exhibition. 3. Following the conclusion of the exhibition period, an engagement outcomes report be brought back to Council for consideration at a meeting in in December 2026, prior to submitting the Council-led Our Fairer Future Plan 2 to NSW Government for implementation.
Item 1, main motion, clauses 2–3
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Reported from the unconfirmed public minutes of Inner West Council's Extraordinary Council meeting held on 15 September 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- The unconfirmed minutes record endorsement of the plan and supporting studies for public exhibition.
- The approved exhibition period is stated as 42 days, from 16 September to 28 October 2026.
- The plan covers 15 listed suburbs and areas, including St Peters, Marrickville, Newtown and Rozelle.
- Council called for an engagement outcomes report, along with any proposed amendments, to return in December 2026 before any submission to the NSW Government.
- An amendment for a 90-day exhibition and at least one local forum in each ward was lost.
- The minutes record nine votes for and five against the main motion, and eight votes for and five against the separate St Peters motion, with Councillor Carlisle absent from the latter.
Why it matters
- People who live or own property in the listed areas have a defined period to inspect the proposed housing changes and make submissions before Council considers feedback and possible amendments.