NSW has moved fast to reform its planning system, promising to unlock housing supply through sweeping state-led controls. But zoning uplift alone doesn’t build homes.

In this episode, we ask the harder question many in property are thinking but few say out loud: is the system genuinely delivering housing, or quietly choking supply through feasibility constraints, delays, and unintended consequences?

Joining us is James Oldknow, Special Counsel at Mills Oakley, who works daily at the sharp end of planning approvals, appeals, and the NSW Land & Environment Court. James breaks down why Transport Oriented Development (TOD) has produced little real-world uptake, while the Low-to-Mid Rise (LMR) policy is driving a surge of applications—particularly in Sydney’s most expensive, tightly held suburbs.

We unpack how affordable housing incentives are being used to make projects stack up, why premium locations like Mosman, Waverley, and Woollahra are seeing the most change, and how the new Housing Delivery Authority is fast-tracking large projects while sidelining local controls. Along the way, we tackle design quality, heritage, infrastructure strain, and the emotional toll these changes are having on established communities.

For investors, homeowners, and anyone exposed to property in NSW, this episode is a reality check. And if you’re wondering what could be coming in other states, this could be the canary in the coalmine. The reforms aren’t a silver bullet—but they are already reshaping values, neighbourhoods, and long-term decisions for those paying attention.

00:00 — Introduction to NSW Planning System

01:33 — Meet the Expert: James Oldknow

04:41 — Challenges in TOD Applications

08:33 — LMR Policy and Its Impact

10:52 — Affordable Housing and Feasibility

16:42 — Community Concerns and Planning Rigors

26:53 — Development Typologies Across New South Wales

28:59 — Concerns About Centralized Authority

30:43 — Affordable Housing and Contribution Funds

32:17 — Infrastructure and Traffic Concerns

34:33 — Heritage and Environmental Considerations

43:29 — Navigating Development Consents and Modifications

45:29 — Final Thoughts and Advice

James Oldknow is Special Counsel in Mills Oakley’s Planning and Environment team, specialising in planning and development law across New South Wales. He advises landowners and developers on projects of all sizes and regularly appears before councils, planning panels, and the NSW Land & Environment Court.

Working daily within the approvals and appeals system, James sees firsthand where projects stall, why others succeed, and how state policies like LMR, TOD, and the Housing Delivery Authority operate in practice—not theory. His perspective is grounded in real projects, real constraints, and real outcomes, making him uniquely placed to cut through the policy noise and explain what NSW’s planning reforms are actually delivering on the ground.

1. James’ LinkedIn
2. Mills Oakley Website
3. Mills Oakley LinkedIn

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Most Australians assume they’ll deal with retirement living and aged care when the time comes. The problem? By the time it does, the system has already made many of the decisions for you. In this episode, we unpack why delaying retirement and home care planning is one of the most expensive mistakes people make—not just financially, but emotionally and structurally.

Veronica Morgan and Chris Bates are joined by Mitch Hiam, COO of Balance Financial Group, to explain how Australia’s aged care and home care systems really work—and why recent reforms are quietly changing the rules. They explore how “Support at Home,” means testing, maintenance costs, and wait times are pushing retirees into decisions earlier than expected, often under crisis conditions.

The conversation challenges deeply held assumptions about staying in the family home, downsizing, retirement villages, and intergenerational living. Mitch breaks down when home care works, when it doesn’t, and why time—not money—is the real currency in preserving choice and independence later in life.

This episode is essential listening for Gen X, older Millennials, investors, and anyone with ageing parents, offering a clear warning: if you don’t plan your retirement living early, the system will plan it for you.

00:00 — Introduction to Retirement Living Decisions

01:08 — Guest Introduction: Mitch Home from Balance Financial Group

01:48 — Challenges Faced by Retired Homeowners

04:05 — Importance of Early Planning for Home Care

09:07 — Government Policy Changes and Their Impact

16:00 — Financial Trade-offs and Family Dynamics

24:21 — Granny Flat Agreements and Multigenerational Living

26:31 — Inheritance and Financial Planning for Retirees

29:52 — Planning for Future Care Needs

30:29 — Making Better Property Decisions

31:37 — Understanding Retirement Villages

40:10 — Costs and Contracts in Retirement Villages

52:26 — Final Thoughts and Advice

Mitch Hiam is the Chief Operating Officer of Balance Financial Group, a specialist advisory firm focused on retirement planning, aged care strategy, and later-life financial decision-making. His work sits at the intersection of pensions, home care funding, residential aged care, downsizing, retirement villages, and intergenerational arrangements.

Mitch works closely with individuals and families navigating some of the most complex—and emotionally charged—decisions they will ever face. From proactive planning to crisis-driven aged care transitions, he brings frontline insight into how Australia’s systems actually operate, where people get caught out, and which decisions permanently limit future options.

Known for his plain-spoken, practical approach, Mitch helps Australians understand the financial reality behind retirement living—so they can make informed decisions early, rather than forced ones later.

1. Mitch’s LinkedIn
2. Balance Retirement & Aged Care Specialists’ LinkedIn
3. Balance Retirement & Aged Care Specialists’ Website

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Multi-generational living is becoming a more common response to the uncomfortable realities facing ageing parents and their adult children.

With traditional aged-care pathways increasingly expensive, emotionally fraught, and often poorly understood, families are weighing up alternatives — staying at home, moving into residential care, or reshaping the family home through shared living arrangements and granny flats.

In this episode, we look under the hood of multi-generational living to explore what’s actually involved. From legal ownership and estate outcomes to pension eligibility, Centrelink rules, and family dynamics, we unpack the decisions families are making — and the risks they often don’t see until they’re already committed.

Our guest, Adriana Care, is Managing Partner at Coutts Legal and works at the coalface with families navigating these choices under pressure. She’s seeing a clear shift among the so-called sandwich generation toward property-based solutions for ageing parents — raising complex questions around money, fairness, control, and what can go wrong when good intentions meet poor planning.

This episode isn’t about whether multi-generational living is right or wrong. It’s about understanding the legal, financial, and practical realities behind these decisions before they become permanent.

01:18 — Meet Adriana Care of Coutts Legal

02:08 — Is Aged Care Failing Modern Families?

03:47 — The Legal and Financial Risks Families Miss

05:25 — Why Families Choose Multi-Generational Living

15:31 — Retirement Living vs Staying at Home

20:50 — How Retirement Village Contracts Really Work

25:40 — What to Know Before Making a Family Move

28:10 — Inside Retirement Village Agreements

28:55 — Disclosure Documents Explained

29:40 — Rules and Regulations That Catch Families Out

30:52 — How Family Dynamics Shape Care Decisions

32:21 — Financial Elder Abuse: Legal Warning Signs

35:29 — Binding Financial Agreements Explained

37:46 — Pensions, Gifting, and Centrelink Rules

40:21 — Why Downsizing Isn’t Always the Answer

44:02 — Granny Flat Arrangements: Legal Traps

49:42 — A Real Case That Shows What Can Go Wrong

Adriana Care is the Managing Partner at Coutts Legal, where she specialises in aged care and elder law. She works closely with families navigating some of the most complex and emotionally charged decisions around ageing, care, and family living arrangements.

Adriana advises clients on the legal and financial realities of home care, residential aged care, granny flats, and multi-generational living, with particular expertise in Centrelink rules, pension eligibility, and intergenerational asset arrangements. Working at the coalface, she sees first-hand how well-intentioned plans can unravel without clear structures, proper advice, and early conversations — especially for the sandwich generation balancing parents, children, and property decisions at the same time.

1. LinkedIn
2. Coutts Lawyers (Instagram)

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