City monitor reports

We audit all housing in the local area. We report at the end of each financial year.

Our local area has undergone a rapid increase in dwelling stock over the past decade, with more new dwellings due for completion in both the near and medium terms. There are currently 13,500 private dwellings and 5,000 non-private dwellings in the City of Sydney’s development pipeline, due for completion over the next 5 years. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimated resident population for the City of Sydney local area at June 2022 was 218,096.

Our community strategic plan Sustainable Sydney 2030–2050 Continuing the Vision contains 10 strategic directions to achieve a city the community wants by 2036. Strategic Direction 10 – Housing for all – aims for:

Target 6 states:

The figures quoted in the community strategic plan relate to private and non-private dwellings as defined by the ABS. The term private dwelling applies to all housing except for boarding houses (class 1B and class 3), student accommodation and residential care services such as aged-care facilities. Private housing includes social (including public) housing, affordable rental housing and privately owned or rented housing.

At June 2023, there were 122,723 private dwellings counted in the local area. There were a further 15,861 non-private dwellings counted.

The housing audit data is sourced from our floor space and employment survey and yearly updates from statistics such as demolished dwellings and changes of use. These yearly statistics include:

• current dwelling stock (buildings and dwellings)
• private dwellings
• non-private dwellings
• number of dwellings by village area
• building structure
• dwelling structure including net yearly increase
• dwelling type (tenure) including net yearly increase.

Our residential monitor provides information on the supply of new housing in the local area including the growth and distribution of residential development which informs us and the public of residential pattern changes.

Information on residential projects is mapped, tabulated, graphed and described based on the status of developments at the end of the reporting period.

Developments are grouped by the following categories:

• Completed – residential developments that have completed construction within 5 years of the report date.
• Commenced – residential developments that are currently under construction but have yet to be completed at the report date.
• Approved – residential developments that have been approved by relevant authorities but have yet to start at the report date.
• Lodged – residential developments that have been submitted for approval but have not yet been approved by the relevant authority at the report date.

The number of rooms in boarding houses, aged-care facilities and student accommodation developments are also reported in the residential monitor.

The total number of dwellings completed, under construction and approved are included in the summary of residential activity. However, only residential developments of 5 units or more are tabulated in the village sections.

Our commercial development monitor provides up-to-date information on commercial development in the local area, which complements the residential monitor.

The commercial development monitor reports on 2 separate areas:

1.   The combined village areas of CBD and Harbour and Chinatown and CBD South.
2.   The remaining 8 village areas combined.

Information on commercial projects is mapped, tabulated, graphed and described based on the status of developments at the end of the reporting period. Developments are grouped by the following categories:

• Completed – commercial developments that have completed construction within 5 years of the report date.
• Commenced – commercial developments that are currently under construction but have yet to be completed at the report date.
• Approved – commercial developments that have been approved by relevant authorities but have yet to start at the report date.
• Lodged – commercial developments that have been submitted for approval but have not yet been approved by the relevant authority at the report date.

Trends in approvals, completions, office vacancies and absorption of office space are also provided.

The visitor accommodation monitor provides up-to-date information on the supply and demand for visitor accommodation in the local area.

Updated periodically, the monitor provides details of hotel and serviced apartment projects in the local area according to their approved, commenced or completed status.

Trends in the total stock of accommodation, occupancy rates and overseas visitors to Sydney are also provided.