A $750,000 block of council-owned land at Ferry Street, Urunga is set to be sold for $1, paving the way for a long-awaited affordable housing project.
What happened: Bellingen Shire councillors voted unanimously at council’s August 18 meeting to proceed with the transfer of Lot 1, Ferry Street to the Waterfall Way Community Land Trust (WWCLT), who plan to build six affordable homes on the site for locals.
Under the proposed model, the Trust would own and manage the land, while residents would co-own or lease the houses.
Consultation results: The proposal to provide the land to the WWCLT for $1 was put to the community for feedback from July 1 to 29.
A total of 350 submissions were received, with 82 percent in support and 18 percent against. This follows a previous community consultation in March.
Submissions opposing the proposal raised concerns over habitat and cultural impacts, the loss of a valuable asset for $1, site selection, and the council’s financial position.
Next steps: While the decision allows the proposal to move forward, development consents are required before the transfer of land can occur.
“The August resolution does not provide development consent or authorise construction,” said council general manager Mark Griffioen.
“WWCLT will still need to progress through the applicable planning and development assessment processes and demonstrate that the project can be financed and delivered before the land transfer can be completed.”