Brief
NSW Opposition proposes converting Long Bay prison into 12,000 homes
The proposal includes a new Long Bay Delivery Authority and promises to address Sydney's housing shortage.
By Felo News Desk · Published
NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has relaunched a plan to shut Long Bay prison and develop the 50‑hectare coastal site into 12,000 new homes, according to an editorial in the Sydney Morning Herald on 28 October 2026.
What happened
Sloane announced the idea at the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s state conference, suggesting the creation of a Long Bay Delivery Authority to oversee the relocation of inmates, staff and the construction of housing. The proposal follows a similar suggestion made by the Coalition a decade ago, when former corrections minister David Elliott argued that prisoners should not occupy prime real estate at taxpayers’ expense.
What the reports add
The editorial notes that the opposition’s plan targets the seat of Attorney‑General Michael Daley in Maroubra, while Labor’s own housing agenda aims to deliver 170,000 new homes across the state. Planning Minister Paul Scully dismissed the Long Bay scheme as a “fantasy”, warning that the density would be three times that of Green Square without sufficient transport infrastructure. The piece also references a 2014 Infrastructure NSW report that identified a light‑rail extension to Long Bay and a 2020 South East Sydney Transport Strategy that recommended a metro line to La Perouse.
What was said
Sloane told the conference, “Young people are sick of hearing governments say housing plans are about delivering more homes for young people, only for those homes to end up being luxury apartments they can’t afford.” Planning Minister Paul Scully said, “The reality is the idea of putting 12,000 homes on the site behind us would create an area of around three times the density of Green Square without any of the transport infrastructure. This doesn’t pass the most basic of planning tests.”
How it came about
The proposal revives a Coalition idea that was abandoned after the government failed to act. Sloane says the Delivery Authority would be established within 100 days of a Coalition win, aiming to relocate the prison to regional and metropolitan centres. The editorial links the plan to broader state housing reforms and previous transport studies that could support higher‑density development at Long Bay.
Key facts
- Kellie Sloane proposes closing Long Bay prison to build 12,000 homes. (smh.com.au)
- Planning Minister Paul Scully called the plan a fantasy and warned of insufficient transport infrastructure. (smh.com.au)
- The proposal includes creating a Long Bay Delivery Authority to manage relocation and development. (smh.com.au)
- A 2014 Infrastructure NSW report recommended a light‑rail extension to Long Bay. (smh.com.au)
- Sloane said the authority would be set up within 100 days of a Coalition win. (smh.com.au)
Sources
- [1] smh.com.au — originally reported as “Long Bay jail redevelopment to help solve the housing crisis? Not the worst idea”
