"We've got a lot of development going on and nowhere near enough social and affordable housing," Mr Hazzard said. "As the new minister my focus is on […] getting every opportunity out of every piece of government land in NSW." A new housing development in Cowper Street, Glebe, will include nearly 500 public and affordable housing units and private apartments. Credit:Michele Mossop "We need police, we need nurses and [others] to support the city. As the city evolves we need to have the private sector and the government all working together." About half of the 500-apartment Glebe development will be private apartments. Proceeds from their sale will fund the remaining half of the development, which includes about 150 public or social housing units and about 100 affordable housing apartments reserved for so-called "essential workers" such as nurses and teachers. The minister's comment come as the government develops plans for the redevelopment of public land in Sydney's Bays Precinct and between Central Station and Eveleigh.

The City of Sydney imposes a levy on developments in Pyrmont and Green Square that is used to fund affordable housing. Cr Moore said the state government should take a similar approach. "[The city's affordable housing projects are] minuscule compared to the amount of development in the last decade," Cr Moore said. "We would like to see the sort of solution arrived at here being incorporated into other sites in the city." The Glebe project is a much-delayed replacement of a low-rise public housing estate demolished by the previous state government in 2011. Plans were first unveiled the same year, and approved by cabinet two years later, but the project was delayed by a legal objection. The new development represents a net gain of 19 social housing units on the site it demolished. Those units will be reserved especially for tenants with a disability or elderly tenants.

The government says the project will be complete in 2018. Premier Mike Baird signed a deal with the state's social services council to invest $1 billion in social housing shortly before the March election. So far no details have been provided about how the deal would be funded. The minister said the government was working to achieve that target but did not provide details. State government revenues from stamp duty on the sale of homes has reached a record-high of $5 billion this financial year, leading to calls for it to do more to make the city's real estate market more affordable. Facts

$170 million

495 new dwellings

153 social housing units

95 affordable housing units

247 private apartments

Scheduled for completion in 2018