New Junction Hill flood-resilient land release set to offer more options, ease housing stress after 2022 floods
A deal to release land for up to 1000 new homes in northern NSW is set to provide residents with safer living options as housing stress and homelessness remains high across the region.
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A deal to release land in the Northern Rivers is set to provide safer living options as housing stress and homelessness remain at a worrying high in the region following the 2022 floods.
It’s been revealed the land for up to 1000 homes at Junction Hill, near Grafton in the Clarence Valley, has been released under the state government’s Resilient Lands Program (RLP).
It comes as the slow recovery following historic flooding across northern NSW drags on.
Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery and state Lismore MP Janelle Saffin said regional communities have been pushing for safer housing – more flood-resilient options.
“Flood-affected communities across the Northern Rivers region have been keenly interested in safer land and housing options being identified,” she said.
“I’m pleased to see the Clarence Valley LGA, which I used to represent as a Federal MP and where I still have strong connections, added to the councils receiving support under the Resilient Lands Program – and there is more to come.”
State Clarence MP Richie Williamson said the Junction Hill site had been zoned for development for some time.
“It’s flat, flood free and has services available and is within a few minutes of town, a rarity in the Northern Rivers,” he said.
“The only thing holding back development is the upgrades needed to transport infrastructure,” he said.
Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison agreed.
“Good transport infrastructure and connectivity is vital for the success of new housing developments, particularly in the regions, and the release of land at Junction Hill will provide that,” she said.
It’s hoped that will be addressed by A Memorandum of Understanding between the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA), Transport for NSW and Clarence council to identify transport infrastructure improvements for the area.
The Junction Hill site announcement follows land releases at East Lismore, Goonellabah, North Lismore, Brunswick Heads and Casino.
Combined with a site identified at Lennox Heads-Ballina, the current RLP sites allow for more than 4300 new homes across the region.
The RA has been working with councils, landowners, infrastructure providers and partners “to accelerate land and housing developments as quickly as possible”, a NSW government statement read.
Planning and Public Spaces Minister Paul Scully said it was “critical that communities are assisted in building resilience to natural disasters”.
He said the Minns government was “serious about properly planning for the future”.
“In the Northern Rivers, housing stress and homelessness remains high. More than 16,000
households are paying more than 30 per cent of their gross income on housing,” he said.
Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said he was pleased to see collaboration between
government agencies and councils.
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