Residents concerned over Mullum ‘co-living’ development

Residents living near the site of a proposed 50-unit residential development in Mullumbimby have expressed concern about the impact of the project on their street, the town more broadly, and the precedent it could set for future development in the Shire.

The $8.2 million development, known as ‘The Nest’, would see two old cottages at 115-117 Stuart Street replaced with a nine-metre-high, three-storey building and a 41-space carpark.

On the second and third floors of the building would be 50 tightly packed, one-room units, each with its own micro bathroom and kitchenette. These would be accompanied by communal living areas, including co-work spaces, communal laundry areas and a yoga deck, however some have questioned whether these areas are large enough to be used by more than a handful of people at any one time.

The developer behind the project, Cadre, says that the units would provide desperately-needed affordable housing aimed at key workers, including individuals, couples, young people and single parents with a child.

However, Stuart Street residents Heath Milton and Oni Blecher, say the proposed development is not appropriate for a small regional town and will have adverse impacts on traffic, parking, safety, and general amenity.

‘We live directly across the road, so our concerns come from thinking about how this development would function day-to-day for both residents and the surrounding neighbourhood,’ say the couple, who are part of a broader group of residents concerned about the development proposal.

‘The proposal concentrates a large number of very small units on a single site in the centre of Mullumbimby, creating a level of density that feels out of step with the town.

‘There are also unresolved questions around stormwater, flooding, and servicing that are particularly important for people living nearby.’

The couple say that they understand the housing pressures facing the town and are very supportive of solutions to the housing crisis in this area, but question whether this site is appropriate for such a dense development, particularly considering that the Mullumbimby Hospital site has had zoning changes to specifically allow medium to high density.

‘As it stands, the scale and intensity of the proposal raise serious concerns for us in terms of parking, safety and day-to-day amenity,’ they say.

‘We are taking part in the planning process so these issues can be properly considered, but if the development were to proceed in its current form, we believe the impacts would be unacceptable.’

A key feature of the development proposal is its use of the co-living housing provisions within the state government’s State Environmental Housing Policy (2021).
This policy makes it easier for so-called co-living housing projects – i.e. developments featuring small private rooms alongside shared facilities – to be built, by streamlining the planning approval process.

But Ms Blecher and Mr Milton say that The Nest development appears to function more like a high-density apartment building.

‘Each unit has its own kitchenette and bathroom, and there are limited shared living spaces, which doesn’t reflect how co-living is usually understood,’ they say.

‘We’re conscious that this is the first proposal of its kind in the Shire.’

‘If this approach is accepted, it could shape how similar developments are assessed in the future, with lasting implications for Mullumbimby and other local centres.’

Meanwhile, the Mullumbimby Chamber of Commerce said it was surprised by the statements from the developer suggesting that the Chamber supported the development.

A spokesperson told The Echo that while the Chamber supported affordable housing in the town, it had not seen the development application (DA) for The Nest nor made any statement in relation to it, supportive or otherwise.

The Mullumbimby Residents Association (MRA), which was also named in the developer’s Community Consultation report as being supportive of the project, also said this did not fully reflect its position.

‘We’re fully aware of the need for more housing and we support appropriate affordable housing projects,’ MRA spokesperson, Dale Emerson said. ‘But we do have some concerns including the impact on traffic and stormwater, and the way the co-living State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP)is being used and any precedent that might be set.

‘We’d just like to see a really transparent process in relation to the determination of this DA.’

Developer responds

The developer, Cadre, provided a detailed statement to The Echo responding to the residents’ concerns.

In response to concerns about the size and scale of the proposal and its impact on local traffic and amenity, Cadre’s Founder and Creative Director Christopher Tyas said that the development was a far less intensive use of the site than was permitted under the present zoning and that it complied with all height and floorspace controls.

He said that containing the recreational areas inside the first floor meant noise could not spread to nearby residences, and that experts had determined the development would be low impact in terms of traffic.

In response to the argument that the development would be more appropriately located elsewhere, Mr Tyas said that he was not aware of any other available locations in Mullumbimby where this type of accommodation could be delivered, and even if there were another location this would not be reasonable grounds for objection.

Mr Tyas also responded to the argument that the development could not reasonably be described as a co-living residence as it was more akin to a high-density apartment building. He said that the proposal provided for communal floor space of 142m² and open communal area of 601m². This provision is well in excess of the standards prescribed for co-living.

The development application for this project is currently on public exhibition and submissions can be made via the YourSay section of Council’s website (www.byron.nsw.gov.au).