Delivering Affordable Housing Through Strategic Partnership
Redleaf Orange
Unlocked a $30 million regional development, securing over 300 new housing lots — including a mandated 20% affordable allocation — through a commercially disciplined partnership between Orange City Council and Landcom.
Situation
Like much of Australia, Orange faced acute housing pressure. Council had publicly committed to delivering affordable housing, and Landcom — the NSW Government’s housing delivery arm — was seeking regional locations to expand its pipeline. The ambition was clear, but the path forward required political alignment, governance certainty, and a leader capable of turning intent into a bankable project.
Role
As CEO of Orange City Council, David was tasked with converting the ambition into an executable development strategy: securing land, establishing governance confidence, negotiating terms, and building a delivery pathway that would withstand regulatory, financial, and community scrutiny.
Actions
David led the strategic negotiations directly with Landcom CEO Alex Wendler, establishing a shared delivery mandate built on transparency, risk discipline, and long-term public value.
Key steps
Identified surplus Council land suitable for large-scale release.
Oversaw rezoning and early masterplanning to de-risk development and accelerate approvals.
Established a governance structure that balanced commercial rigour with public accountability.
Ensured affordable housing was embedded contractually, not aspirationally — securing a guaranteed 20% allocation.
Positioned the project as a scalable model for future regional housing partnerships.
These decisions signalled to government, industry, and the community that Orange Council could deliver complex development at metropolitan scale while retaining regional nuance.
Outcome
Redleaf Orange is now a fully activated $30 million development set to deliver more than 300 residential lots — including the city’s largest single injection of affordable housing — with delivery due from 2027.
The project strengthens Orange’s long-term liveability, provides cost-certain land release in a tightening housing market, and establishes a template for how regional Councils can partner credibly with state-level agencies on major development.