Housing a priority for Premier Chris Minns at Spotlight on the Shire business forum

Mr Minns said it was unacceptable for private investors to have to wait months and, in some cases, years to get an answer on development applications.

"Just this week, we made a decision to end the Greater Sydney Commission and put the thousands of planners there back into the Department of Planning," he said.

"At the same time, we are working around the clock to clear out many of the zoning and regulatory challenges facing businesses."

Mr Minns' comments come as the government draws up new housing targets for local government areas, which could mean Sutherland Shire Council's new draft housing strategy for the period up until 2041, which is close to being finalised, may have to be revised.

Speaking to the Leader as he left the forum, Mr Minns said the new targets would be released soon.

"We are in the process of re-balancing Sydney's urban growth and that's largely about greater densities closer to the CBD," he said.

"We take into consideration everything and that includes travel time from the shire to the city, which has been extended and is getting longer in different parts of the shire."

About 200 people from the shire business community, Sutherland Shire Council and other chambers of commerce attended the forum at Doltone House, Sylvania Waters on Friday.

Mr Minns gave the keynote address and answered questions, after which there were panel discussions on social infrastructure and innovation and tourism and hospitality.

Issues raised included planning "red tape", major industries abandoning the shire, inadequate transport links and the impact of an ageing population on Sutherland Hospital.

The event came about after business chamber president Jeanne Zweck saw Mr Minns on the Esplanade at Cronulla and invited him to attend a shire forum.

Mr Minns told the forum many business people were "exhausted" after the pandemic followed by the present economic situation, and acknowledged their "entrepreneurial spirit" and the "enormous hours they work".

Tim Boyle, chief executive of ARCS Australia, economic development advocate and former innovation chief at ANSTO, said many big industries had left the shire.

While there was a growth in smaller incubation businesses, there was a need for larger R and D (research and development) businesses, he said.

Mr Boyle said the government should also look at relocating government departments to the shire.

Mark Meyer, from the Landmark Group, which is developing the Caringbah Greens project, comprising 244 apartments - half designated affordable rental housing - said it could take 4-5 years to deliver a project like this one because of the time taken by the council to determine the DA.

General manager of Sutherland Hospital Vicki Weedon said the ageing population was a real challenge.

Ms Weedon said there had been a 14 per cent net increase in aged care presentations, a five per cent increase in paediatric presentations and a growing emergency department.