Housing Options for our Future Population

The latest chapter of the draft Coffs Harbour City Council’s Local Growth Management Strategy (LGMS) to be released for public comment – Chapter 7 Residential Lands – looks at the housing options for its changing and growing population.

The draft chapter will be on public exhibition from 17 June until 31 July 2020 and can be viewed on Council’s Have Your Say website.

“Increasing the mix and affordability of housing choices as people move through different stages of their lives is an important consideration for our community,” said Chris Chapman, Council’s Director Sustainable Communities.

“Greater housing diversity also works well with the compact city model – infilling existing neighbourhoods rather than in greenfield sites – that has been identified by both the NSW Government and Council as the most appropriate for our region.”

As the Coffs Harbour region continues to grow over the next 20 years, Council aims to develop well-designed communities that support and enhance local character, provide active lifestyles and increase connections.

The aim of the draft residential chapter is to ensure that Council can plan for the housing needs of its future population by encouraging quality development within existing residential areas.

Housing affordability and short-term rentals are also important considerations when addressing residential development. Two separate discussion papers have been prepared in conjunction with the draft residential chapter, into which feedback is also being sought.

Housing affordability is an issue for many moderate and low income households locally. The Affordable Housing in Coffs Harbour Issues and Options Paper 2020 has been prepared to highlight key housing affordability issues that exist in the Coffs Harbour local government area and to outline policy positions and examples undertaken by government at all levels to address the issue. Council is interested in seeking responses from the community on the various options.

The increasing popularity of online holiday rental platforms led, in 2019, to the NSW Government introducing planning reforms that allow regional councils to develop a local response. This boiled down to an option to cap the number of days per year a home could be used for short term rental accommodation. The Short Term Rental Accommodation Issues and Options Paper outlines the options and is seeking responses from the community on the way forward.

Council is now seeking public feedback on the draft LGMS Chapter 7 Residential Lands and the two discussion papers until 31 July 2020.

You can make your voice heard by going to the relevant Have Your Say page where you can find out more about the draft chapter and discussion papers and make your online submissions. Alternatively, written submissions can be addressed to the General Manager and sent to Coffs Harbour City Council, Locked Bag 155, NSW 2450.

A number of other Chapters of Council’s Local Growth Management Strategy have recently been adopted by Council and can be viewed here.