Expanding development opportunities in Bega

The council on Thursday, February 15, secured $250,000 in funding from the NSW government's second round of the Regional Housing Strategic Planning Fund.

The funding will support a new Bega Urban Land Release Planning Proposal to unlock more development-ready land for current and future housing demand, with the proposal estimated to support up to 2615 new homes across three new neighbourhoods south of Bega township.

This grant funding comes on top of previous first round funds for Bega Valley Shire Council of $248,370 for work to coordinate planning and infrastructure requirements for urban residential growth areas in Bega and Wolumla.

Council's planning and sustainability manager, Cecily Hancock, said the funds would be used to carry out background studies such as bushfire risk assessments, Aboriginal cultural heritage archaeological reports, biodiversity assessments, traffic impact studies and agricultural assessments.

"When we asked for community feedback on both the Bega Structure Plan and Wolumla Structure Plan late last year, we received more than 500 responses, of which 80 per cent thought providing more housing supply was a priority in the shire.

"With the demand for housing in the shire continually accelerating, facilitating the development of urban release areas has become a priority.

"This new funding will help bring forward the construction of more diverse and affordable housing."

The NSW government said the second round of the Regional Housing Strategic Planning Fund would deliver a total of $2.93million in grants of up to $250,000 to 16 councils, supporting a total of up to 23,769 potential new homes.

Councils will use the funds to accelerate new housing strategies, prepare infrastructure and servicing plans, and amend local environmental plans.

"This is about empowering councils to undertake vital efforts to speed up housing delivery," Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said.

"It will help deliver the important planning work needed to boost housing supply, affordability, and diversity and support growing regional communities.

"We are focused on better coordinating housing and infrastructure delivery across the state, while making sure regional homes are ready for the hazards of the future."

Member for Bega Michael Holland said the $250,000 boost from the NSW government "is a game-changer for Bega and will enable the delivery of more homes and a diverse range of options".

"This will bolster the Bega community, create a stronger workforce, and a thriving local economy," Dr Holland said.