Community invited to have a say on Urunga’s affordable housing proposal

BELLINGEN Shire Council is inviting community feedback on a proposed affordable housing development at Ferry Street, Urunga, marking the next step in a project years in the making.

The consultation follows a Mayoral Minute passed unanimously by Bellingen Shire Council in May last year, requesting a detailed report into the legal and financial considerations of transferring the Council-owned land to the not-for-profit Waterfall Way Community Land Trust (CLT).

The Trust, established by the volunteer-led Housing Matters Action Group, has been working on the project for eight years with ongoing support from the Bellingen Council.

With that report now released, the group is encouraging the community to provide feedback on whether the land at Lot 1 Ferry Street should be transferred to support the development.

Housing Matters Action Group Chair Kerry Pearse welcomed the consultation process.

“It was great to read the report and understand the sort of process Council will use if they decide to transfer the land,” she said.

“It is a big decision for the Council to transfer public land for any purpose – even affordable housing, which will deliver a clear community benefit. It is important that the community is given the opportunity to say what they think, to inform the Council’s decision.”

If approved, the project would deliver around six affordable homes on the 2,195 square metre site, with a mix of two and three bedroom dwellings aimed at local working households.

The development would operate under a Community Land Trust model, which is widely used overseas but new to Australia.

Under this model, the trust retains ownership of the land while residents purchase the homes, helping to keep prices more affordable.

Resale conditions are also applied to ensure the homes remain accessible for future generations.

The Ferry Street site is intended as a demonstration project, showcasing how the model could work locally and potentially encouraging similar initiatives by other landholders and councils.

The proposal comes amid ongoing housing challenges in the region.

In Bellingen Shire, house prices are significantly higher than the regional NSW average.

This has made home ownership increasingly out of reach.

The 2021 Census identified at least 293 households in housing stress in the Bellingen Shire.

Community consultation is open until 30 March, with submissions helping to inform Council’s decision.

A report on the outcomes is expected to be presented at the April Council meeting.

Residents can view the proposal and provide feedback via Council’s website bellingen.nsw.gov.au/Have-Your-Say/Potential-Disposal-of-Operational-Land-for-Affordable-Housing.

By Leigh WATSON