New plans lodged to transform northern NSW property owned by Zac Efron

Development plans have been lodged for Hollywood star Zac Efron’s sprawling vacant property in northern NSW.

A vacant New South Wales property owned by Zac Efron is poised for a dramatic makeover, suggesting the Hollywood superstar may finally call Australia home.

Development applications lodged with Tweed Shire council for the empty 128ha block in Tomewin, northern NSW, have referred to the proposed design as “Futurecave” and “the most sustainable home in the world”, according to REA.

The High School Musical star, 36, bought the land for $2 million in 2020, when he spent months living in Australia during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A development application for "the most sustainable home in the world" has been lodged for the northern NSW property owned by the Hollywood celebrity Zac Efron. Picture: Supplied

The proposed dwelling, set in bushland, would cost $2.65 million to build, per the application.

Local environmental activist Joost Bakker, a friend of Efron’s, is listed on paperwork as the proponent, which could suggest he’s quietly taken ownership of the property, or Efron is attempting to avoid his name being used publicly.

Efron famously enjoyed a year-long romance during his stint down under with Byron Bay cafe worker Vanessa Valladares, until news of their split emerged in April 2021.

Zac Efron with his ex Aussie girlfriend Vanessa Valladares in Byron Bay. Picture: Media-Mode.com

While Efron hasn’t lived in Australia for an extended period since returning to Los Angeles in 2021, he has visited a number of times to film productions.

He spent time in South Australia filming the movie Gold, which was released in 2022, before returning in 2023 to shoot Prime Video’s Ricky Stanicky, which hit the platform this year.

Is Efron finally planning to call Australia his official home? Picture: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

The private actor rarely gives interviews about his personal life, though he did hint at how much he loved our shores back in 2012.

“What I love about Australia, which is what we don’t have in California, is there are so many wide-open beaches where no one is at,” he said at the Australian premiere of his 2012 film, The Lucky One.

Efron sold his home in Los Angeles for $US5.3 million (A$8m) in May 2021, just months after he snapped up the vacant land in northern NSW.

He initially paid $US4 million for it in 2014.

You can read the full details about plans for Efron’s Australian home on realestate.com.au.

Originally published as New plans lodged to transform northern NSW property owned by Zac Efron