Gyde is delighted to announce that the Mid-Western Region Housing Strategy, delivered in partnership with Mid-Western Regional Council and The Planning Studio, has won the prestigious President’s Award at the 2025 Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) NSW Awards.
This award celebrates planning work that meaningfully and innovatively addresses specific local challenges.
About the Project
The Mid-Western LGA is located within the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), the first of its kind in Australia. The Mid-Western Region Housing Strategy is the first housing strategy developed with explicit consideration of the impacts of the REZ on regional communities, providing not only a forward-looking vision for housing within the Mid-Western LGA, but also a comprehensive assessment of the region’s significant growth pressures.
The REZ will bring many opportunities to the region, but it also presents challenges to ensure its sustainable development, support housing availability and affordability, and harness short-term investment to leave a long-term legacy for the community. The Mid-Western Region Housing Strategy meets these challenges head on, setting the vision not just for the Mid-Western LGA, but for the future of planning across the nation’s REZs as we strategise for the transition to Net Zero.
The Strategy sets out:
• A forward-looking vision for housing across the Mid-Western Regional Local Government Area
• A robust assessment of current and future housing needs, tailored specifically to local conditions
• Analysis of growth pressures associated with REZ development and workforce influx
• A strategic approach to mitigate potential community impacts while leveraging new economic opportunities
• A bespoke housing supply and demand assessment, developed beyond the standard Local Housing Strategy Guideline to better reflect the region’s unique dynamics.
This work involved extensive engagement, detailed analysis and a place-based approach to create a Strategy that reflects the aspirations of the Mid-Western community.
Gyde is proud to work on projects that help communities navigate change with clarity, resilience, and visionary planning.
