The Minns government's planning reforms will be on the ballot at the March state election, with Liberal MPs breaking from a pro-YIMBY stance to criticise developments in their own electorates and argue Labor's push for more housing is not backed by the necessary infrastructure.
A year after then-opposition leader Mark Speakman declared the party was "unashamedly YIMBY", Liberal MPs have become increasingly vocal. Drummoyne MP Stephanie Di Pasqua described Labor's planning policy as "destructive", while Davidson MP Matt Cross said some developments "lack social licence". Liberal MPs in inner Sydney electorates confirmed they would run local campaigns against aspects of the reforms, arguing infrastructure commitments had not kept pace with increased housing supply.
Planning Minister Paul Scully said the party had "settled back into their anti-housing NIMBY tendencies" and was "waiting for policy direction from One Nation". "While the Young Liberals appear to still believe in the need to fix our housing challenges, their elected representatives are crab walking away from it," he said.
Di Pasqua attacked the "massive and unprecedented" proposal to build 60,000 more homes in her electorate over 15 years, saying the government's vision demonstrated "contempt" for her inner-west electorate. The seat is held by just 1285 votes and will be heavily targeted by Labor. Cross criticised the government's transport-oriented development policy and use of state significant development pathways as "controversial", saying they "lack social licence and community support".
Opposition planning spokesman Chris Rath accused the government of playing "postcode politics", supporting density only "so long as it's not in their backyard". "For local communities to embrace new developments and to make a dent into the housing crisis, the government must provide the funding to address schools that are already overcrowded, roads that are gridlocked, and local hospitals under strain," he said.
Other Liberal MPs made similar arguments. Frontbencher Tim James said the Willoughby community was "deeply concerned about the scale of development being imposed", while veteran MP Anthony Roberts predicted a "sugar hit" of supply followed by an "awful crash". North Shore MP Felicity Wilson said development was the No.1 issue in her electorate, and Hornsby MP James Wallace criticised proposed rezoning around Cherrybrook Metro station, saying "there is no plan" and "no accountability".
The shift comes a year after Speakman used a housing conference to define his party as pro-development, saying being "aggressively pro-housing" could reverse the party's lack of appeal to younger voters. In November, the opposition supported the government's planning reforms.
Labor strategists offered a mixed view of the politics. One, speaking anonymously, said housing had become a "no win" issue for both sides and would not define the election. Another argued the Liberals' inconsistency would be exposed during the campaign, requiring them to articulate a realistic alternative plan.