The site as of September 2025. Image: Google Maps/Screenshot.
A project to give a Far South Coast motel a second lease on life will soon open its doors to long-term residents.
A development application (DA) was lodged with Bega Valley Shire Council earlier this year to change a motel’s use to “co-living” housing, from “hotel or motel accommodation”.
Its approval in late March will see the Eden Golf View Motel on the Princes Highway converted into a facility with 16 self-contained rooms.
Property company Brightway is behind the redevelopment. Founder and group CEO Edward Fernon said the project would ease the housing crisis gripping the town by increasing the type of housing types available.
“Based on the numbers we saw, there are 440 people on the social housing waitlist – typically around 55 per cent are single people in regional locations.
“The vast majority of housing stock is four-bed, two-bath, typically single dwelling housing stock.”
Up to 32 people are set to live there, with each furnished room housing one or two people.
A manager will oversee the residents and be on site 24/7, while another staff member will be on call to assist the manager.
“I think there’s a real opportunity. We, hopefully, will be able to deliver on being able to provide really good quality housing for single people and couples,” Mr Fernon said.
“That’s a huge part of the demand that we’re seeing.”
The Eden project is Brightway’s first partnership with Mission Australia, which is set to source and provide dedicated support services for tenants.
“This is not affordable housing. This is housing that’s affordable … [Tenants], in many instances, have government support and that’s great, but we want to have an open model that’s available for everyone,” Mr Fernon said.
The project will also include knocking down an existing on-site dwelling and the pool. It will feature a communal kitchen, laundry and other shared spaces for residents.
He expects that the facility will open by mid-year.
“We’ve all been undertaking works on the site for the last two months … Our aim is to have the first rooms available in probably three months time.”
Mr Fernon said a similar DA was being developed or under consideration for other sites across the state, including Walcha and the NSW Hunter Valley.
“We’re having a number of discussions with councils all across NSW – with mayors, general managers and heads of planning all saying the same thing, that long social housing wait lists are in need of high-quality housing stock.”
For Eden, he said the group was looking at lodging another DA to expand facilities at the back of the motel site, adding more communal areas and 16 studio rooms.
The development is expected to cost about $99,000.
“It’s more than just housing for us – it’s also dealing with the loneliness epidemic … What it’s about is actually creating a community,” Mr Fernon told Region.
“They have that monthly community dinner, creating incidental interactions between residents.”
He said anyone interested in living at the Eden Golf View Motel site could contact Mission Australia.
