Moved by Councillor Maxwell, seconded by the
Chair (the Lord Mayor) -
It is resolved that:
(A)
Council
note:
(i)
in
February 2025, Council unanimously resolved to support the meanwhile use of
vacant properties to address urgent housing needs. That work contributed to the
City supporting the Property Industry Foundation’s (PIF) Meanwhile Use Platform
(ii)
the
Meanwhile Use Platform is operational and in its beta phase, with national
rollout anticipated in early-to-mid 2027. It currently has a housing focus, but
can connect owners of temporarily vacant properties of any type with
organisations seeking space for a range of uses
(iii)
the
City’s cultural strategy commits to retaining and creating affordable creative
space. The City’s Greater Sydney creative spaces affordability study, published
September 2025, found that the median creative income of artists in Greater
Sydney was only $5,000 a year, and that 57% of respondents were considering
leaving Sydney in the next 12 months, driven by housing and creative workspace
costs
(iv)
meanwhile
use of vacant industrial and commercial buildings is a low-cost, readily
available way to provide creative space, as organisations such as The Nest have
shown
(v)
meanwhile
occupants can be required to leave well before works begin, and the City does not currently collect data on how often this
happens or for how long buildings then remain vacant
(B)
Council
further note:
(i)
the
National Alliance for Meanwhile Use, recently established by PIF and its
partners, is working to remove systemic barriers to meanwhile use, including
through standardised meanwhile use agreements. Its steering committee is
currently made up of housing, homelessness and charitable organisations, with
no cultural or creative sector representation yet
(ii)
the NSW Government has taken welcome steps to
support meanwhile use, including planning changes in December 2024 to speed up
meanwhile use of vacant properties for crisis and temporary accommodation, and
the Homes NSW Meanwhile Use Policy and standard meanwhile use lease, released
in December 2025. However, these apply to housing only
(iii)
the NSW
Government’s draft Vibrant Precincts State Environmental Planning Policy would
allow temporary arts and cultural uses in vacant commercial buildings as exempt
development, but only within Special Entertainment Precincts
(C)
the
Lord Mayor be requested to write to the relevant NSW Ministers, including the Ministers
responsible for Planning, Housing and the Arts, welcoming the NSW Government’s
steps to support meanwhile use, inviting their participation in the workshop at
(D)(i), and requesting that the NSW Government:
(i)
extend
the Homes NSW Meanwhile Use Policy and standard lease to non-residential
properties and to cultural, creative, social enterprise and community uses
(ii)
apply
the proposed exemption for temporary arts and cultural uses in the draft
Vibrant Precincts SEPP beyond Special Entertainment Precincts, including to
vacant buildings awaiting redevelopment
(iii)
ensure
any incentives for meanwhile use, including land tax relief, apply to cultural
and creative uses as well as housing
(D)
the
Chief Executive Officer be requested to:
(i)
convene
a workshop bringing together representatives of the City, PIF, the NSW
Government and the Australian Government, including Create NSW and Creative
Australia, with property owners and the cultural and creative sector, to
identify barriers to creative meanwhile use, including planning, building
compliance, insurance, regulatory and funding barriers, as well as options to
incentivise property owners and the changes needed at each level of government,
building on the matters at (B) and (C)
(ii)
informed
by the workshop at (i), consider any proposal from PIF developed in
consultation with creative sector organisations for a program to increase the use
of the Meanwhile Use Platform for cultural and creative purposes, setting out
what the program would deliver, including:
(a)
mechanisms
to identify vacant and underused industrial and commercial buildings suitable
for creative meanwhile use, including sites with development approval where
works have not yet commenced, and to engage their owners
(b)
brokering
and managing creative meanwhile use, including adapting standard agreements for
creative uses and giving owners confidence about exit arrangements
(c)
recording
when meanwhile occupants are required to vacate before works commence, and how
long buildings then remain vacant
together with the program’s timeframe, cost, and any funding or City
support required
(iii)
investigate
options to provide information about meanwhile use and the Meanwhile Use
Platform, including for cultural and creative uses, through the development
application process, including in communications with applicants and property
owners
(iv)
report back
to Council on the outcomes of the workshop and any proposal received, including
an assessment of likely costs, expenditure related to any City support
required, and any further advocacy arising from the workshop, in time to inform
the 2027/28 budget.
Carried unanimously.
X113762