What is the proposed Entry Point Housing Program?

Wagga Wagga City Council has backed a planning change designed to deliver brand-new freehold homes at an estimated $420,000 to $425,000, which is well below the city’s median house price.

At the ordinary meeting on Monday 13 July 2026, WWCC resolved to support a planning proposal to amend the Wagga Wagga Local Environmental Plan 2010. The change would introduce an additional local provisions clause enabling Entry Point Housing. Council also supported a draft amendment to the Development Control Plan 2010 and a standard Voluntary Planning Agreement template to help secure the delivery of Entry Point Housing Program outcomes.

Council General Manager Peter Thompson said the program aims to streamline regulatory processes to facilitate lower cost, well located and well designed housing for eligible local purchasers.

Under the proposed scheme, dwellings must be sold at an agreed price determined at the approval stage. Eligible purchasers must not own other property and must live in the home as their principal residence.

The Entry Point Housing Program is expected to be a smaller house built on a smaller-than-average lot to achieve a lower price point. A builder working on the pilot is planning a two bedroom, one and a half bathroom property.

Westpac and the Commonwealth Bank are working with council to support the product, and several retailers are working to provide cheaper fit outs.

NSW Premier Chris Minns told Parliament on Wednesday 5 August the proposal was “a good way to look at housing policy in a complex market”. He said Wagga has a rental vacancy rate of 1.5 per cent and severe demand and supply issues in the housing market.

The planning proposal will now be submitted to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure for a gateway determination. Once that is received, the planning proposal, draft DCP amendment and planning agreement template will be placed on public exhibition for 28 days.

How the scheme may help first home buyers buyers in Wagga Wagga

• With a projected $420,000 to $425,000 entry price, this is far below Wagga’s median. A 20 per cent deposit on $420,000 would be about $84,000, compared with about $160,000 on a more median priced home.
• As the price is set at approval stage, buyers do not have to compete with investors or face auction-style price escalation.
• With eligibility being simplified, there is no income test and no assets test. If you do not own another property and will live in the home, you may qualify.
• A smaller dwelling that may suit singles, couples, small families or older renters who need a manageable, lower-cost home.

If more first time buyers move into these homes, competition for existing entry level homes may ease, which could help upgraders trying to buy their next home in that price range. If renters leave the rental market, Wagga’s tight rental vacancy rate of around 1.5 per cent may improve, which can help people who need to rent while selling or building.

Every renter who becomes an owner through this scheme potentially frees up a rental property. Over time, that could ease pressure on Wagga’s rental market and slow rent growth.

More affordable housing can make it easier for younger workers and key workers to live in Wagga, supporting local businesses and services. The scheme may also create a pipeline of smaller, lower-cost housing construction, with banks and retailers already involved in the pilot.

What to watch

The success of the plan will depend on:

• how many the homes within the scheme are actually delivered;
• whether the fixed price remains workable for builders and developers;
• the quality and location of the smaller lots;
• how eligibility and owner-occupier rules are enforced;
• whether the homes remain affordable over time or are resold under certain conditions.

The upcoming 28-day public exhibition period is the key opportunity for potential buyers, residents and industry to provide feedback.

Articles used to source information:
First step towards delivering more affordable housing in Wagga Wagga | City of Wagga Wagga Council News
'Not for investors': the new Wagga scheme unlocking first home buyers' future | The Daily Advertiser
NSW Premier applauds Wagga Council's approach to providing affordable housing for first-time buyers | Region Riverina