Housing crisis: Bega council set to ease housing red tape in a hope to spur development

A bold plan to slash red tape around housing approvals will spur development and ease the current housing crisis on the south coast caused by bushfires and COVID-19.

A south coast council will make it easier for developers to build housing as it tries to ease a housing crisis compounded by devastating bushfires and the post-COVID-19 property boom.

The south coast is grappling with a housing shortage and an influx of people from Sydney and Canberra who are able to work from home or seeking a lifestyle change due to the pandemic, sending property prices skyward and reducing rental properties.

Bega Valley Shire Council voted on Wednesday to contact the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment requesting it loosen regulations around minimum site areas for the building of new houses and units in urban residential areas, villages and mixed use zones.

Bega Valley Shire Council hopes the move will spur housing developments like the one above in Merimbula.

Director of community, environment and planning Alice Howe said the aim of the move is to “increase the diversity of housing stock in low density residential areas” such as Merimbula.

“The specifics (of developments) we wouldn’t know until we see the individual development applications,” she said.

She said the plan will lead to greater housing supply and choice with a focus on housing growth in locations where surrounding infrastructure and services already exist, and offer more opportunities for affordable housing.

Merimbula Chamber of Commerce president Nigel Ayling said the group supports the move due to the increased housing shortage, which has seen doctors and other professionals forced to live in trailers while they wait for a rental.

Merimbula Chamber of Commerce president Nigel Ayling supports the proposed changes. Picture: Facebook

“It’s certainly addressing the housing issue, and we need more medium density development,” Mr Ayling said.

“The problem with Merimbula is there’s not a lot of land left to release and we have projected growth in population.

“We certainly support council’s idea because the housing shortage is an important issue right now, and we certainly encourage housing development in the town centre.

“As long as it keeps with the town’s look and feel, and we don’t get 20 storey buildings in town.”

Currently developers looking to vary from the minimum site area provisions are required to apply for a variation, “which adds to the complexity, cost and time to the preparation, assessment and determination of development applications”, council said.

NSW Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes has announced a regional housing task force. Picture: Nikki Short

Resident Peter Ongley said future developments could become “a holiday resort” filled flats left empty most of the year.

“Higher density housing will not provide more rentals. It will provide greater income for developers from more short term holiday lets,” he posted online.

Resident John Holmes said the move will “ruin” the region.

“We moved away from Sydney for this very reason, we don‘t need to be penned in like city dwellers, in this part of Australia,” he said.

Bega Liberal MP Andrew Constance and Bega Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick with Bega Liberal MP Andrew Constance. Picture: Facebook

Resident Alan Madden backs the move, saying it will help housing and employment issues on the south coast.

“Just because they change the minimum size does not mean every land owner in the valley is going to run out [and] knock down their house so they can build a duplex,” he said.

“Just because people can doesn’t mean they will.”

NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes said this week the NSW Government will set up a task force to speed up the delivery of homes across regional NSW as pressure builds on housing supplies.

“We couldn’t have seen this coming, no one did. COVID-19 happened - that’s the problem and what we are doing about it is setting up a Regional Housing Taskforce,” he said.

An influx of city dwellers since the COVID-19 pandemic has put pressure on south coast housing stocks.

Bega Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick said it will be difficult to tell how quickly developments would be going ahead, but added the newly announced $100 million housing and hotel development earmarked for Eden would be able to take advantage of the loosened restrictions.

“For anyone thinking about a development right now it could be the difference between someone going forward or not,” he said.

“When we talk about high and medium density areas it’s up to real estate agents to work with developers. The only role council has is the zoning role.

“Being mindful of keeping the appearance and feel of towns is a constant juggling act.”