Bega Valley Shire Council has adopted an Affordable Housing Contributions Policy to help increase the supply of affordable homes in the shire.
The policy captures a small part of the increase in property value that happens when land is rezoned and allocates it to the provision of affordable housing.
It only applies to rezonings initiated by landowners or developers seeking to increase residential capacity, resulting in land value uplift.
Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick said this is an important step in responding to the community's housing needs.
"Affordable housing is a critical issue in the Bega Valley and this policy gives us a practical way to address it," Mayor Fitzpatrick said.
"It helps achieve improved housing outcomes by creating a system that benefits the whole community as our population grows.
"Developers can make contributions in form of land, dwellings or monetary equivalent."
The policy was informed by a feasibility study prepared by Atlas Economics, and consultation with community housing providers, Southern Cross Housing and Homes NSW. Public feedback was then gathered in April and May 2025.
After considering community feedback, changes were made to the policy to ensure that when contributions are in the form of equivalent monetary contributions, the contribution rates reflect a wider range of development scenarios and current market conditions.
Additional changes include applying contribution caps for each location and the equivalent monetary contribution rates being reviewed every two years.
"Contributions will be managed by Council in partnership with a community housing provider to ensure they go towards the provision of affordable housing in the shire," Mayor Fitzpatrick said.
"Our goal is to support housing supply without discouraging development and making sure our community has access to more affordable housing options."
Contributions will be introduced gradually from September 2026 and phased in over six years to give the market time to adjust.
