Homes NSW plans to develop a housing complex that includes eight affordable and 24 social homes. Photo: Homes NSW.
Later this year, Homes NSW will share the design of a 100-home project in Bega through a public exhibition.
With Bega Valley Shire Council, Homes NSW is repurposing government-owned land at 33 Barrack Street to boost the shire’s housing supply. Through close collaboration with TAFE NSW, Homes NSW acquired the former Bega TAFE site.
It plans to revitalise the area by transforming the Barrack Street site into a vibrant new neighbourhood of about 100 new homes, including 30 per cent that will be set aside for social and affordable housing.
The project includes 68 private market homes, eight affordable homes and 24 social homes.
There will be a 20-unit complex of smaller and accessible homes specially designed to suit the region’s large and growing population of older people. The median age of the shire in 2021 was 52. That compares with the state’s median age of 39.
Homes NSW recently acquired additional land in nearby East Street. That new land will allow Homes NSW to improve the design of the complex and develop more features that benefit the local community.
Homes NSW is finalising the necessary documentation to begin formal subdivision planning of the 7.7-hectare site.
The subdivision proposal includes essential infrastructure such as roads, footpaths, lighting and residential services, along with landscaping and individual housing lots. Along with providing much-needed housing, the project will create local jobs.
The draft design for the Barrack Street project site is underway. It will be shared with the community during a 21-day public exhibition period planned for late 2025. The display will also provide the opportunity for feedback. Community drop-in sessions will invite people to talk with the project team and ask questions.
Homes NSW officially announced its plans to redevelop the former Bega TAFE site into a new neighbourhood in August 2023. It acquired the land in 2024 and the old TAFE buildings were demolished in August that year.
After the project exhibition due in late 2025, and associated assessment, Homes NSW will make a formal decision in early 2026 that will pave the way for construction to begin. Bedroom makeup for the social homes will be considered during the planning-and-design phase.
Subject to planning approval, civil works to start the construction phase are expected to begin in 2026, followed by land registration in late 2027. The social homes are scheduled to be complete in early 2029.
Homes NSW said the median house price in the region was $845,000, which had pushed ownership out of reach for many residents.
More than 1250 households are facing rental stress given the median weekly rent has risen 32.5 per cent over the past five years to $520. The rental vacancy rate is just 2 per cent.
More than 200 households are on the social housing waitlist and more than 670 households need affordable housing. At least 150 people are homeless.
The shire lost 467 houses during the Black Summer bushfires. The 2021 Census showed that 16.6 per cent of private dwellings were unoccupied. That compares with the state’s average of 9.4 per cent.
Social housing focuses on assisting people on low incomes who need support to help them live independently, and low-income earners who have problems finding affordable private-market housing that suits their needs.
Affordable rental housing is for very low to moderate-income households and is available at a lower price than the usual market amount. It is open to a broader range of household incomes than social housing and is usually managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.
Usual income limits for affordable housing outside of Sydney range from $72,900 for a single-person household and $197,000 for a couple with four children. The rent is calculated at 75 to 80 per cent of the current market rate or 25 to 30 per cent of housing income before tax.
