A draft housing strategy to guide residential development in Bellingen Shire over the next two decades is being released for public comment on September 4.
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It's the first component of Bellingen Shire Council's new Growth Management Plan, which will also include strategies for rural lands and employment lands (industrial and business-related).
A solid contingent from the community-based Affordable Housing Action Group came along to the council meeting on Wednesday to see the document approved for exhibition.
The action group's chair, Kerry Pearse, said based on her initial reading it looked "smart and strategic" and she was pleased to see the need for affordable, secure housing was "part of the strategy's DNA", alongside environmental responsibility and good universal design.
The group has been heavily involved in promoting debate and community engagement around local housing, holding forums and regular meetings to share information and work towards innovative and practical change initiatives.
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In fact, their enthusiasm and willingness to partner with council kindled a record number of thoughtful submissions during the award-winning Homes for Our Future Community Engagement Project.
"Council have said a number of times that our work made a significant difference to the number and quality of submissions that they received," Kerry said.
"One of the things they said was really different was when they've run consultation processes on things like this in the past, mainly what they've received has been requests for rezoning or comments from people based on self-interest.
"They were really surprised and pleased to see that most of the responses this time were people's views about what was best for the shire and the community, not their own hip pocket.
I think our work helped generate the thinking and discussion
- Kerry Pearse
"I think our work helped generate the thinking and discussion. The first forum got a lot of significant policy issues on the table and created the context for people to think about what's happening locally and what we can do locally."
Council engaged with over 500 people and received 250 submissions containing 1900 comments and ideas during the Homes for Our Future consultation process.
The key themes that emerged have been woven into the six-point vision statement that fronts the Draft Housing Strategy:
- Bellingen Shire offers housing choices by providing a variety of housing types in different sizes and configurations, with varied features and characteristics.
- New housing is located mostly in and around existing town centres. Shops, services, parks and community facilities are close by, encouraging walking and cycling.
- We strive for greater opportunity and affordability in the housing market. Our homes cater for a wide range of people and households, including for all incomes, people with a disability, and for our ageing population.
- High quality design of housing and public space encourages community connections, and enhances neighbourhood character whilst respecting our shared history and heritage.
- Our housing reflects the environmental ethos of the community, respecting our precious natural environment and supporting eco-conscious lifestyles and habits.
- The farmland and rural character of the Shire is protected, and offers regenerative and innovative farming opportunities, supporting our country towns and villages.
Mayor Dominic King congratulated planning staff for producing not only a strategy document but also a detailed action plan plus infill capacity and design studies.
The community's expressed preference for infill rather than greenfield development has led to inclusions such as reducing the minimum lot size for residential subdivision from 600m2 to 500m2 per lot; reviewing controls for medium density housing; and not endorsing the designation of any additional areas to be zoned as R5 Large Lot Residential, bearing in mind that the shire currently has 670 hectares zoned for this purpose.
Only two of the rezoning requests received were supported, subject to further investigation. They are for land at the top of Endeavour Drive in Bellingen and land at South Arm Road in Urunga.
Council will be offering community feedback opportunities on Saturday September 7 at the Dorrigo Markets, on Sunday September 8 at the Urunga Markets and on Saturday September 21 at the Bellingen Markets.
Kerry Pearse said the action group would also be actively encouraging informed community comment.
"We will be promoting the draft strategy to the more than 200 people on our membership list and on social media," she said.
"We are holding three meetings during September - in Dorrigo, Urunga and Bellingen - to encourage people to comment on the draft strategy. We are working closely with the planning team who will attend these meetings."
You can view the Draft Bellingen Shire Local Housing Strategy documents at www.bellingen.nsw.gov.au/council/agenda-and-minutes/ordinary-meeting-council-28-august-2019
And from September 4 to October 18 they will be on the CREATE Community Engagement Hub and council's website at www.bellingen.nsw.gov.au. Hard copies will be on display at Bellingen, Urunga and Dorrigo Branch Libraries.
Janene Carey
Janene Carey is the senior journalist for the Bellingen Shire Courier-Sun
Janene Carey is the senior journalist for the Bellingen Shire Courier-Sun
