Luke Scobie explains his proposal at a public meeting in Hanwood in February 2026. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
A developer is hopeful the first new homes in a major Hanwood housing development could be completed by 2028 after the NSW Government gave the green light for plans to rezone land and put them on public exhibition.
Sydney-based developer Luke Scobie, of Cite Group, said Hanwood had significant untapped potential and could soon become the “destination of choice in Griffith”.
His project aims to deliver 400 homes and help address the chronic housing shortage preventing skilled workers from moving to the town.
“Hanwood is closer to the centre of Griffith than parts of Collina,” Mr Scobie said. ”It’s got great potential. If you look at where people go on weekends — to Bunnings, the cinema, the leagues club — those places are more convenient to get to from Hanwood than Collina.”
The State Government has now approved the planning proposal to move to the next stage, meaning the proposal can be put on public exhibition for residents to have their say.
The next step is for Griffith Council to advertise the planning proposal for public display.
Residents will then be able to look at the plans and make submissions before the council considers the feedback and decides whether to proceed with the rezoning.
“I met with council last week and I’m looking forward to working with them proactively to address Griffith’s housing shortage,” Mr Scobie told Region.
“Griffith needs to build 160 homes per year to meet demand, and we hope we can do our bit by building our first 40 houses by 2028.”
The original proposal put forward in 2023 covered two farming blocks north of Leonard Road, next to Old Willbriggie Road, and another block at the corner of Kidman Way and Thorne Road.
Mr Scobie’s plans for development in Hanwood. Lot 150 has not been approved. Image: Supplied.
Mr Scobie wanted to turn the land into a new residential community with hundreds of houses, along with a large park and wetlands, swimming pool, indoor sports facilities and other amenities.
He said Hanwood could be transformed into something special, where people had more of what they needed around them, with less need to travel to Griffith.
“We want people to be able to wake up in the morning, walk a few metres, grab a coffee, eat some real food, have a farm-to-table experience,” he said.
However, Griffith City Council last year supported only part of the proposal.
The council agreed to progress the two blocks north of Leonard Road, but rejected the inclusion of 11300 Kidman Way, with concerns including flooding, drainage and the site’s proximity to the busy Kidman Way.
That means the NSW Government’s latest decision relates to the Leonard Road land, not the disputed Kidman Way block.
The state’s approval allows the planning proposal for the Leonard Road land to move forward to public exhibition.
The NSW Government has set a target of 30 July 2027 to complete the planning process.
If the rezoning is ultimately approved and the required infrastructure and development approvals are obtained, the developer can then move towards subdividing the land and building homes.
The broader Hanwood Growth Area is already earmarked for substantial residential expansion.
Griffith City Council endorsed a master plan earlier this year that provides for about 800 new homes across Hanwood over the next 25 to 30 years.
The plan envisages a mix of conventional residential blocks, larger lots and multi-dwelling housing, together with new roads, drainage, upgraded water and sewerage infrastructure, and more open space.
A new precinct park is also planned in the unused north-eastern part of the Hanwood Sports Complex.
The wider growth area is divided into three stages, with the land covered by Mr Scobie’s proposal forming part of Stage 2.
The council said the Hanwood growth area was intended to provide more housing while dealing with the area’s flat terrain, drainage issues and existing irrigation infrastructure.
There is already significant demand for housing in Griffith, with the council’s housing strategy warning that construction is not keeping pace.
The council said Griffith currently had enough zoned and planned land for more than 2500 additional homes, but delays, construction costs, infrastructure gaps and planning processes were preventing that land from being turned into houses quickly enough.
Mr Scobie believes his project can help change that.
His vision is for Hanwood to become more than simply another housing estate, with parks, community facilities and homes built around shared spaces.
