NRJO makes submission to housing taskforce

Friday, 27 August 2021

The Northern Rivers Joint Organisation (NRJO) has identified a range of measures to be considered by the Regional Housing Taskforce in order to alleviate the current housing crisis both in the immediate and long term.

The actions outlined include both practical and regulatory suggestions aimed at tackling the many aspects of the issue.

NRJO Chair, Cr Danielle Mulholland said social housing had always been a key priority of the NRJO, but that the lack of availability of housing generally had now reached a crisis level. So much so the NRJO and three of its six Councils – Byron, Tweed and Lismore – have declared a Housing Emergency.

“One of the unforeseen consequences of the pandemic has been the pressure on the housing market created by the return of hundreds of thousands of Australians from overseas and the unprecedented regional migration.

“The communities within the Northern Rivers have borne the brunt of the situation and have been subject to some of the largest increases in both rents and house prices in NSW, which has resulted in many people struggling to keep or find accommodation,” Cr Mulholland said.

The NRJO Submission’s proposed recommendations include:

A pause on the implementation of the short-term rental accommodation regulatory framework to allow for a social impact assessment on the community
Modernise Government housing stock and utilise Government land and surplus buildings
Northern Rivers Homeless and Action plan
Support for current LGA housing initiatives
A review of the AHCS template appropriateness for regions
Develop a program to deliver full spectrum of housing as part of North Coast Regional Plan Review
Appraise the impact of land banking and identify options to address it
Local involvement in housing design guides and delivery of case studies.

Cr Mulholland said the NRJO recognised that factors influencing the current housing crisis extended beyond the reach of this Taskforce.

“Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all solution to this issue, the problems range from the influx to the regions to the type of housing available, the availability of suitable land and the supply effect of holiday letting on the overall housing stock.

“The submission to the Taskforce is the first of many steps we at the NRJO intend to take as a region to make headway on this issue,” Cr Mulholland said.

Further Information: Cr Danielle Mulholland Ph 0438 931 425