Nearly three years after seeking to establish a Byron Shire Council-led land trust, staff have reported in the agenda for last week’s council meeting that after their application was rejected in August 2021, they recommend re-applying to the state government.
The idea had dropped off Council’s agenda over the past three years following advice from the state government that such trusts were tightly restricted under law and required careful and detailed planning.
Road to housing trust
Council’s plan to create a Council-led land trust was then adopted at last Thursday’s meeting.
The trust would involve Council running a land-owning, not-for-profit entity that creates low-cost housing for the community
Housing trusts provide pathways to create homes for those who cannot afford to enter the property market.
Around 16 years ago, in 2008, then-councillor Paul Spooner led Byron Community Land Limited.
In September 2023, Byron Shire Community Land Trust, headed by wealthy philanthropists including Brandon Saul, submitted their first Development Application (DA) to Council for a housing project.
It is described as an Australian first, which is a ‘group home for single mothers, their kids, and older women’, and if approved, would be built on the former Eco Village site at 66 The Saddle Road, Brunswick Heads.
According to Council’s website, the Group Home and Ancillary Building application (DA 10.2023.266.1) is ‘in progress’.
Sustainable Environment and Economy director, Shannon Burt, wrote in her report to the council meeting in the February 8 agenda that Council could re-apply now for a land trust, given Council’s ‘better position to respond to the 2022 guidelines’.
Obstacles
The obstacles over the past three years, says Burt, were that a ‘significant amount of work was needed’ to progress with the application, so a decision was made by staff to focus on ‘other competing housing initiatives’.
They included, ‘Affordable Housing Contributions Scheme, Residential Strategy, Mullumbimby Hospital redevelopment, 57 Station Street, and other housing planning proposals’.
Ms Burt recommends the preferred model is a ‘company limited by guarantee and licensed with Council being the majority shareholder’.
Form an entity
One way to proceed could be for Council to ‘form an entity under Section 358 of the Local Government Act 1993, as per the 2022 guidelines for ‘Formation of Corporations and Entities’.
Councillors confirmed their commitment to the plan at last Thursdays council meeting and requested that staff prepare a new application to the state government.
