Farmers and town planners say allowing more homes to be built on rurally zoned land could be one solution to help ease the housing crisis in New South Wales.

A parliamentary committee has been tasked with investigating potential changes to planning laws to make it easier for landowners to build a second dwelling on their property.

There are no uniform rules in regional areas regarding the development of secondary dwellings, which some councils allow.

The committee is due to deliver its report on the planning reforms in February next year, but at a public hearing in Sydney this week, Hawkesbury-based town planner Troy Myers said demand for this type of housing was huge.

"There wouldn't be a week go by where someone walks in my front door asking, 'Can we put another house on the property

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