Byron Shire Council looks set to exceed last year’s residential building approvals, with 169 approvals given in the July–March period of the financial year so far.
Last year’s annual total was 219, according to id.community.
According to the data, this financial year’s approvals could be the highest since 2001-02, when there were 279 residential building approvals. By comparison in Lismore, a shire with roughly the same population as Ballina Shire (and 7,000 more than Byron Shire), had only 73 residential approvals in the year to date, compared to 197 in Ballina and 169 in Byron.
Echonetdaily asked Shannon Burt, Director Sustainable Environment and Economy, why Council are exceeding last year’s residential building approval figures.
She replied, ‘Planning and building approvals each year fluctuate, owing to a number of factors that are generally out of Council’s control – for example development applications can be for houses, secondary dwellings, multi-dwelling housing, alterations and additions to houses (eg patios, pergolas, car ports, minor extensions).
‘The statistics are those submitted to the ABS and or DPIE as per their reporting requirements, keeping in mind that development consents may have been issued at any time in the last five years’.
COVID-19 impacts
When asked if there were impacts from COVID-19, she replied, ’At this stage, the impact of COVID-19 on development applications appears to be minimal’.
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