Plans for a $9 million ‘workers housing development’ at 58-60 Bangalow Road, Byron Bay, have received a mixed response from locals, with some supporting the addition of diverse housing options, while others argue there will be wide-ranging negative impacts for little overall benefit.
Plans for 24 one and two-bedroom units were lodged with Byron Council earlier this month by Propel Investment Management.
Five of the dwellings would be dedicated to affordable housing. Each of these would have two-bedrooms, spread across two storeys.
There would be parking for 30 cars overall, including two accessible spaces and six visitor spaces.
A number of local businesses and organisations expressed support for the project, stating that there was a critical need for diverse and affordable housing in the Bay.
Businesses included Beach Byron Bay, Bay Grocer, the Women’s Village Collective and the Namatjira Haven drug and alcohol healing centre.
‘As a small business owner in the Northern Rivers who employs staff in both the hospitality and retail sectors, we have experienced first-hand over recent years the hardships involved in our staff finding affordable housing that’s of good quality, and enables them to safely and easily get to and from work in this age of increased cost of living,’ one local business owner said.
Other businesses expressed qualified support for the proposal.
The CEO of a local food store chain said in a letter that she supported the project ‘only if the planned dwellings are perpetually affordable, not for the 15 year maximum, as proposed’.
Neighbour concern
A number of neighbours raised concerns about traffic, road safety and parking, the loss of trees involved in the development, the visual impact, and the general issue of over-development.
The development is not currently on public exhibition.
However, the full detail of the application is now available and can be viewed via Council’ DA tracker website by searching the DA number 10.2023.465.1.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
