Multiple occupancies are only allowed on already-earmarked properties, but could changing this help tackle our housing emergency?

About 70 properties flagged for shared community arrangements haven’t ever been developed in a way that could house many more families. Now the council is on a mission to find out why.

The question of broadening opportunities for multiple occupancies has been raised before Byron Shire Council.

Housing and lack thereof is always on the lips of local community leaders.

But at the same time, there are a large number of properties in the Byron Shire which have been flagged for multiple occupancies, but have never been established.

The untapped potential was raised when deputy mayor Sarah Ndiaye brought a motion seeking consideration of more multiple occupancies before the council’s meeting on Thursday.

Ms Ndiaye’s motion sought the preparation of a report to explore the “possibilities, hurdles and opportunities of reintroducing multiple occupancies as a pathway to providing more options for accessible and affordable housing in the Byron Shire”.

The meeting heard there were about 70 properties in the shire identified for multiple occupancies, but action had not been taken to actually establish them.

No further MO sites can currently be earmarked.

In her motion, Ms Ndiaye suggested looking at this issue could be one way to help fight the region’s housing emergency.

Councillor Paul Spooner queried the deputy mayor’s wording and the motion was amended to include Community Titles and for those types of developments to continue, rather than be reintroduced.

Mr Spooner said the council had to understand why existing MO opportunities were not being pursued by landowners.
“The disparity is getting worse and worse between what people can earn and what people can afford to invest in a home,” Ms Ndiaye said.

“MOs offer something that not many other places can.

“And I know it’s tricky because the affordability element is juxtaposed by the fact you can’t borrow against it.”

She also acknowledged challenges for the council in the way it can gather fees and charges but said it could be one way to help tackle an “extraordinary problem”.

“I invite councillors to look past the challenges and look at the opportunities this could present,” she said.

“I know as a council everyone’s been really keen to try and address some of the challenges that we have.

“We have to find multiple solutions to a very complex and far-reaching problem.

“If we can have this on the table as an opportunity for the next council I think it’s a fair and reasonable thing to do to explore those pathways.

“(We should) make sure the Rural Land Use Strategy reflects the needs of our community as we’re moving forward.”

Staff told councillors the Department of Planning “haven’t been supportive of council” mapping further MO sites in the Rural Land Use Strategy.

All councillors voted in favour of the motion.