Eurobodalla: Plan suggest new height limits could ease housing shortage
A plan pitching ways to ease the NSW south coast’s housing shortage has suggested high rise apartments and bigger building height limits could be the solution.
The South Coast News
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A plan proposing ways to ease housing shortages in a rapidly growing south coast town has suggested increasing the number of high rise developments and building height limits could be the answer.
The suggestion comes in the Eurobodalla Housing Strategy 2024-2041 plan, a strategy which focuses on housing supply and demand, housing diversity, housing affordability and housing location.
One of the possible strategies the plan suggests the Eurobodalla Council could implement to meet growing housing needs, is increasing height limits and more high rise developments.
“While constructing detached dwellings meets some demand, there is a dearth of multi-unit or apartment high-rise development,” the report states.
“These multi-unit structures could cater to housing needs arising from population growth.”
However, this is not the first time the regional council has suggested the increasing of building height limits, with the proposition first arising in February last year, with the sale of Batemans Bay’s largest vacant block at Vesper St.
The site is now under consideration for multiple developers, with the site’s realtor Adam Sadi telling The South Coast News that two developers have proposed structures ranging from 30m to 70m high.
Currently, the Batemans Bay CBD height limits stop at 18m.
Eurobodalla Council general manager Warick Winn said all proposals for the land at Vesper St were above the 18m height limits and ranged from accommodation, residential and mixed-use proposals.
“From the beginning of this lengthy process, council has been determined to encourage innovative ideas for this site and achieve the best outcome for the community,” he said.
“Council is currently undertaking a master planning exercise for the Bateman Bay CBD and the community will have a chance to share their ideas and views on heights.”
Mr Winn said the sale would not be finalised until height limits were adjusted.
The Eurobodalla Housing Strategy also suggests increasing height limits would make development applications for apartment buildings a quicker process, as developers would have more height to work with.
It suggests this would make it easier for homes to be built for the growing population.
Currently, Beach Rd in Batemans Bay is seeing the construction of the $2.75m Kailani apartments, just two years after the mega Ohana apartments were completed two blocks down.
Each building sits at five-storeys tall, however, if the strategic plan is followed, the town could see multiple taller apartments erected.
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