For six weeks the most popular page on Byron Shire Council's website was the Housing Options Paper, with almost 2,000 views and 286 submissions presented to staff for review.
The development and exhibition of the Housing Options Paper was the first step in the process to refreshing the Byron Shire Residential Strategy, a document that provides a vision and framework for how Council intends to provide future housing over the next 20 years.
"The NSW Government has set Council a target to deliver 4,522 homes for 8,590 people by 2041 and the Residential Strategy will provide the planning framework to allow this to happen," Byron Shire Mayor, Michael Lyon, said.
At the December Council meeting, Councillors endorsed the recommendations developed from the Housing Options Paper which identified four ways for housing supply to be delivered:
- Infill
- Vacant land
- New release
- Living differently
Following the consultation period staff have included several new sites for inclusion in the Residential Strategy, as well as land identified in the NSW Government's Resilient Lands Strategy.
"Housing is top of the agenda for all levels of government in Australia and it is the number one issue for our community," Mayor Lyon said.
"There are no quick fixes to this problem, but the Residential Strategy will provide the framework to allow for development to happen in a way that is appropriate for our community, incorporating our values, taking into account the environment and the character of our villages and towns," he said.
"For our strategy to work it is essential that all new developments that involve a rezoning provide a contribution of land for genuine affordable housing.
"We are committed to the delivery of homes at the right end of the market, including build-to-rents, so we can alleviate, and then solve, this housing crisis," Mayor Lyon said.
Information about the changes to the Housing Options Paper and the Residential Strategy is on Council's website.
The Residential Strategy will be presented to the Council for endorsement in early 2024, prior to be submitted to the NSW Government's Department of Planning and Environment.
