The Minns Labor Government is continuing work to build a better New South Wales by pulling every lever available to increase housing affordability and availability across New South Wales, today announcing $899,000 to Ballina Shire Council to remediate contaminated land to help unlock future housing.
The land's former industrial use for cattle tick dipping left the soil contaminated by chemicals such as arsenic. Remediation of the sites will involve the safe removal of contaminated soil to a licensed waste facility and its replacement with imported clean soil.
Remediation Action Plans have been developed to clean up 3.9 hectares for future use.
Crown Lands in the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure will fund the remediation of a former cattle dip site and yards at 31 and 33 Canal Road, with Council contributing $100,000.
Remediation of this land is critical as it will enable a planned adjoining residential development to proceed.
This follows the announcement last week that the Minns Labor Government will deliver a historic pipeline, of over 355 public and community homes across the Northern Rivers over the next two years, including 48 planned in Ballina.
In the past year the Minns Labor Government has delivered 1,711 new social and affordable homes, the largest increase in government-built public, community homes in over a decade.
Minister for Land and Property Steve Kamper said:
"This is a great outcome for the North Coast and the local environment. Restoring this idle land not only protects our natural surroundings but helps unlock land for new homes.
"Housing affordability and availability are one of the biggest pressures facing families, particularly in the Northern Rivers, where repeated natural disasters have made the situation even harder.
"Reactivating land like this allows us to ease some of that pressure by creating opportunities for more homes and stronger, more resilient communities."
Minister for the North Coast Janelle Saffin said:
"There is a shortage of housing on the North Coast so it is vital that we take measures like this to activate unused land that can support more new homes for our growing community in Ballina.
"This land is also ideally located near the popular Fripp Oval, and will encourage community connectedness, recreational activity and support for our local sporting clubs like the Ballina Bears Cricket Club and Ballina Bombers AFL Club."
