Leah Ashenhurst, property manager, Elders Bangalow and 11-year Mullumbimby resident.
As a long-term resident living in Mullumbimby I do wonder about all the hoo-hah surrounding the development application in Stuart Street.
After checking out their website it seems to be that the developers actually have a social conscience. They are involved in designing and building crisis accommodation up on the Gold Coast and I drove past their development in Sunrise, The Kollective, and I liked how it looked.
At the end of the day people want to live in this area and if some interestingly designed one-bedroom units can be incorporated into our town where is the harm in that? It seems a lot better to me than people renting out their garages for $300 per week or their caravans for $250 per week. Why is it ok for people to be grateful to live in an unlined studio but not ok for the possibility of living in a new one-bedroom apartment?
As a property manager in this area I deal every day with people looking for rentals and owners wanting to rent. Yes our rents are high, yes people are getting forced out of the area but you know what? This is the way of the world and people can huff and puff and say that our town cannot deal with more people and we all should live in nuclear families in three bedroom houses with double garages but guess what that is the minority.
Most owners are putting their own homes on Airbnb and bunking in with friends in peak periods. Consider for a minute that Koho are actually trying to do a good thing and help people who would like to stay in this area.
What is the alternative with that block? Someone from out of town buys it and does a massive renovation on it and then on sells it to another well heeled out of towner?
Maybe, just maybe this development will allow 10 local people to stay in the area and continue to contribute to the community that we all enjoy being part of.
