Landcom are working in partnership with Byron Shire Council and the NSW Reconstruction Authority to deliver affordable rental homes on a Council owned carpark at 57 Station Street in Mullumbimby.

The proposed mixed use affordable housing development aims to deliver around 32 new rental homes, catering for workers on low to moderate incomes. This will include a mix of studios, and 1- and 2-bedroom apartments.

In addition, there will be retail space on the ground floor fronting Station Street.

The affordable rental homes will remain as affordable housing in perpetuity.

This project reflects Landcom's ongoing commitment to creating liveable communities that cater to the diverse needs of residents.

From 21 November until 9 December 2024 we invited community members to provide feedback on the preliminary concept design for the new affordable housing development at 57 Station Street, Mullumbimby.

Your insights and feedback have been invaluable to us. Thank you to those that came and met the project team at one of the community information sessions, or completed a feedback form.

Our team have recorded your concerns and ideas and this will be captured in a community outcomes report. All community feedback will be carefully considered alongside stakeholder feedback, technical assessments, planning requirements and feasibility studies as we finalise the design prior to submitting the development application.

We will provide you an update in 2025 once the development application has been finalised and submitted to Council .

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The affordable housing development will provide about 32 new affordable rental homes consisting of a mix of studios, 1- and 2-bedroom units for workers on low to moderate incomes.

There will also be retail space on the ground floor fronting Station Street.

The building is being designed to be comfortable and welcoming, and the quality will to the same standard as other new developments. We are working towards targets in Landcom's Sustainable Place Strategy. The design will be 100% Liveable Housing Australia Silver Level a set of design guidelines that make homes easier to access, navigate and live in, particularly as people's needs change over their lifetime.

Some key features include:

• positioning of the building to make the most of sunlight and natural airflow, helping keep homes bright and fresh while saving on energy bills
• landscaped areas and communal spaces where neighbours can meet, relax and socialise
• useful facilities, including bike storage that make everyday life easier for residents.

Building design complies with NSW Government guidelines to support quality design outcomes and consider the vision and principles of the Mullumbimby Master Plan (2019).

Design pathway

We are working with a range of technical specialists to help us prepare the development application.

Technical studies include:

• traffic impact assessment
• social impact assessment
• flood impact assessment
• heritage impact assessment
• landscape design
• civil engineering
• structural engineering
• environmental assessments.

Refining our plans

We will finalise technical studies and refine the preliminary concept design by considering:

• community feedback
• feedback from Byron Shire Council, government agencies and other stakeholders.

Preliminary concept design - view from Station Street

Preliminary concept design - section elevation and proposed materials

Preliminary concept design- ground floor plan

Safe, secure and affordable housing is essential to the wellbeing of people, the vibrancy of our communities and the productivity of the NSW economy.

The development seeks to address a critical community housing need through the provision of studios and units for people on low to moderate incomes. Limited supply of affordable housing is impacting heavily on the Mullumbimby community with many local businesses and organisations not able to find the staff to operate properly due to the lack of housing for their workers.

Based on the 2021 census over 58% over the Mullumbimby community have rent payments greater than 30% of their household income, well above the 50% for Byron Bay and 36% for NSW.

To learn more about affordable housing please visit Landcom’s website (Affordable Housing | Landcom).

What is affordable rental housing?

Affordable rental housing is rental housing for a mix of low- or moderate-income households. Rent is discounted so that residents are able to meet other basic living costs, such as food, clothing, transport, medical care and education.

Why is affordable housing important?

Affordable housing is a key part of any community. It plays an important role in enabling social and economic sustainability, to create vibrant and diverse neighbourhoods.

Without affordable housing, individuals and families may have to sacrifice basic necessities to meet housing costs, potentially leading to displacement that disrupts family and community connection. This creates a domino effect that impacts local businesses and services: as people move from an area in search of affordable housing, businesses and essential services find it challenging to attract and retain staff.

Who can live in affordable housing?

Affordable housing is designated for those on very low, low and moderate household incomes. It is priced so these households can meet their other essential living costs.

Those seeking housing affordability include workers who provide essential services within the community, such as nurses, paramedics, police officers, child-care workers and retail staff.

Affordable housing is not ‘cheap’ or ‘poor’ in its quality and design, and delivers the same standard of liveability as other homes. Affordable housing is diverse, to meet the needs of a wide range of community members.

What is Landcom’s involvement in Affordable Housing?

For more details, please visit Affordable Housing | Landcom.

Who is Landcom?

Landcom is a NSW Government owned land and property development organisation. We are a commercial business that develops land to achieve both public outcomes and financial benefits for the people of NSW.

Landcom supplies home sites through the delivery of sustainable masterplanned communities and development projects, with a focus on expanding the stock of affordable and diverse housing. We have delivered over 100,000+ homesites since 1976.

Why do we need developments like this in our area?

The project seeks to address a critical community housing need through the provision of studios and units for workers on low to moderate incomes. In Mullumbimby, 58% of renters are in rental stress, which means they pay more than 30% of their income on rent.

What is a community housing provider?

Community housing providers build and manage safe and affordable homes for workers on very low, low and moderate household incomes to ensure quality outcomes for tenants, investors and government.

In NSW, community housing providers own or manage more than 51,000 properties. They are highly regulated and registered through the National Regulatory System for Community Housing. Community housing providers usually keep their new housing stock for the long-term, so they design and build high-quality homes.

Site details and design

Why was this site chosen?

The site is a Council owned public carpark with an existing public toilet. The site was chosen by Byron Shire Council as a suitable location for this development. Its proximity to the town centre is beneficial to future residents (i.e. easy walking access to shopping and services), and beneficial to local businesses who require more affordable housing for their employees. In the context of a major housing crisis, sites like these are unique opportunities to deliver much needed housing.

What are some of the key design features?

The building is designed to be comfortable and welcoming, and the quality will be the same standard as other new developments. Some key features include:

• positioning of the building to make the most of sunlight and natural airflow, helping keep homes bright and fresh while saving on energy bills
• landscaped areas and communal spaces where neighbours can meet, relax and socialise
• useful facilities, including bike storage that make everyday life easier for residents.

Building design will comply with NSW Government guidelines to support quality design outcomes and consider the vision and principles of the Mullumbimby Master Plan (2019).

The area is in a flood zone, how is flooding risk being managed?

The land is identified as being affected by the 1 in 100-year flood zone. As part of the design process a flood engineer has been engaged to provide a flood impact assessment. This assessment will be submitted with the development application. All homes are designed to be above flooding levels.

Are there car parks provided as part of the development?

While plans are subject to change, the preliminary concept design allows for around 20 parking spaces for residents and visitors/customers.

There is a public toilet currently on the site, what is the plan to provide the community with an alternative arrangement?

Council has advised that public toilets on this site will close when work starts on the redevelopment. There are plans for new public toilets to be built at Apex Park behind the Council Chambers. The new amenities will be a part of an upgrade to the park. Public toilets are also available in the Council offices.

Will there be a new public carpark to replace the carpark on site?

Council has advised it will build a carpark 100m away on the corner of Argyle Street and Prince Street, at minimum the same number of spaces as the existing carpark. When the new public carpark is open, the existing carpark on site will close to enable the development.

Council has recently been issued its first licence from Transport for NSW for a part of the rail corridor land which will be developed as car parking. This carparking will replace the car parking on 57 Station Street once this site is developed for affordable housing.

A second licence under consideration is for the remainder of the rail corridor land, (not including the Temporary Housing Village). This larger licence area will accommodate additional car parking for the town centre, new community open space and amenities facilities. Once this second licence is issued, next steps on how to determine the mix of open space, car parking design and access to and from the town centre as per the Mullumbimby Masterplan will occur.

The site is located at the main entrance to town, how is the design considering the architecture of the township?

The building design will be further refined through a collaborative design process between Landcom and the community housing provider as part of the planning process.

The detailed design will consider the Mullumbimby Master Plan and be sympathetic to the heritage architecture and local character of the Mullumbimby town centre which has a ‘country feel’.

What retail providers will the commercial area be leased to?

Council will manage any future leases, in accordance with its Leasing and Licencing Policy. Any potential future use of the commercial area must be permissible in the land use zone.

Are there any site constraints that affect the design?

Yes, flooding and heritage. Technical studies and assessments have been carried out as part of the planning for the development.

What technical studies are being done?

To inform the development application we are preparing a number of studies relating to:

• site access, traffic and parking management
• social impact assessment
• architectural design
• landscape design
• heritage assessment
• civil engineering
• flood assessment
• waste management
• environmental assessments to help manage potential impacts relating to ground conditions, stormwater and biodiversity.

What is a social impact assessment?

A social impact assessment is required as part of the development application. A social impact assessment is an independent study undertaken to identify and assess potential positive and negative social impacts associated with a proposed development. Social impacts can be understood as consequences to you, your family and your community when a new development brings change.

The social impact assessment process is guided by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure’s Social Impact Assessment Guideline (2023).

Construction

Will the development affect supplies and delivery to existing businesses?

There may be some minor interruptions during construction, however once appointed the community housing provider will be responsible for working with Council to minimise impacts on local businesses.

Once construction commences how long will it take?

It will take around 18 months to complete construction, with residents expected to move into their new homes in 2027.

Will access for businesses be maintained during construction?

The community housing provider will be responsible for maintaining access for staff and customers for existing businesses.

What mitigations will be in place for the likes of noise, dust and vibration?

Construction is inherently noisy and construction sites can get dusty. During works, the community housing provider and their main works contractor will be resonsible for taking measures to reduce the impact on local traffic and parking, and to minimise impacts on nearby businesses.

Measures to minimise impacts on the surrounding area will likely include:

• spraying water to suppress dust and halting work in high winds
• establishing hoarding to contain works and protect the general public
• installing signage to safely guide pedestrians and cyclists
• providing traffic control so trucks can safely enter and exit the site
• maintaining agreed hours of work. Pending approval, work hours will likely be:

• Monday to Friday, 7am – 5pm and Saturday hours as approved by Council
• scheduling noisier works to minimise impacts on local businesses.

Funding and management

Who is contributing funding to the project?

Landcom has facilitated an arrangement with the NSW Reconstruction Authority, who has committed to provide approximately $1.408M funding for the project. This funding will be finalised by the community housing provider following their appointment.

How will the project be managed?

A project control group with members from Byron Shire Council, Landcom and the community housing provider will be in place to manage and monitor the progress of the project.

How will the building be managed once residents move in?

The building will be managed by a community housing provider and in accordance with the Residential Tenancy Act. A plan of management is being prepared as part of the development application; this plan will include controls to manage anti-social tenant behaviour.