The housing system is complex and all tiers of government have an important part to play. State and Commonwealth Governments control many of the levers that drive the housing system. However local government also has an important part in the housing story.
One of our first projects involved actively supporting Bellingen Shire Council’s development of the twenty-year Local Housing Strategy and broader Growth Management Strategy. It is a state government requirement of all local councils to develop these documents. We are proud that Bellingen Shire Council has been recognised for their outstanding work in relation to the Local Housing Strategy winning both the Community Partnerships and Collaboration Category of the NSW Local Government Awards 2019 and the Rural Category of the 2020 Local Government NSW A.R. Bluett Memorial Awards.
Bellingen Shire Council launched their discussion paper ‘Homes for our Future’ at our first housing forum in 2018. Following the forum, a working group was formed to support the community consultation process, host workshops in Dorrigo, Bellingen and Urunga and inform themselves of the details of the proposed strategy. The most common themes from the consultation included the need for more housing choice and greater housing affordability (over 30% of comments); protection of the natural environment (18% of comments) and protecting character and supporting community connections (15%) of comments.
The Local Housing Strategy will be a very important document that will guide and shape the growth of our community over the next 20 years. The Local Housing Strategy 2020-2040 and supporting Action Plan outline a wide range of initiatives, including quality infill development, environmentally responsible development, a number of innovative pilot projects and the potential of a Housing Hub to assist with the implementation and uptake of initiatives. We are pleased to work closely with the Bellingen Shire Council to continue to find local solutions to the current housing crisis.
