Gilgandra is getting on with housing, with construction for a new development beginning with at least ten more houses to be delivered than originally planned.

The Aero Park Residential Subdivision - a key part of the town’s planned growth - is set to deliver 34 new fully serviced residential housing lots created. 

“The project has been in the planning for some time and is one of the key actions listed in the Gilgandra Housing Strategy,” Gilgandra mayor Doug Batten said. 

“These spacious lots aim to provide families room to grow and the opportunity to enjoy the great lifestyle of our rural country town.”

Over seven months of construction, the subdivision will include roads, footpaths, rolled kerb, stormwater drainage, water and sewerage reticulation systems, NBN, underground power, solar street lights and street trees. 

With no residential subdivision in Gilgandra since around 1980, council data shows that that in the three years to 2022, only ten development applications for new residences have been lodged.

Population projections don’t add up

With few new houses in the area and a 70 per cent drop in properties listed for sale in the four years to 2022, Gilgandra is reliant on the Aero Park development to reach their ‘Towards 5000’ population goal. 

The goal is at odds with government projections, which sees the Gilgandra - and other Western Plains LGAs - population continuing to decline. 

For Gilgandra, those projections are seen to “grossly over-estimate the population decline”, which has led to the current shortage of houses. 

Member for Barwon Roy Butler recently took a motion to Parliament about the inconsistencies between data-driven projections and the reality of the population shift in Western NSW. 

“Official data sources suggesting population decline in regional NSW is erroneous,” Mr Butler gave notice of his motion. 

“The 2021 Census is flawed and does not accurately reflect the influx of people to the bush,” he added as a second motion. 

Gilgandra council is preparing a sales strategy and process for the sale of the new lots.