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🇦🇺 Australia /Environment & Climate

Byron Bay could be losing its fight against high-rise

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Three proposed Byron Bay developments exceeding the town's 11.5-metre height limit have been classified as state significant developments.
  • The projects would be assessed by the NSW Department of Planning, potentially bypassing Byron Shire Council's local planning controls and community process.
  • Council and residents fear the developments could alter Byron Bay's character and strain infrastructure, while the department says state-significant projects can help address regional housing needs.

Byron Bay's long-running fight against high-rise development is entering a new phase. Three projects in or near the town centre have been declared state significant developments, allowing them to be assessed by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment rather than Byron Shire Council.

It feels like I've been screaming into the wind about this for some time.

· Sarah NdiayeThe Byron Shire mayor described her frustration with the state assessment process.

The move has alarmed council leaders and residents who have spent decades defending a low-rise skyline. Local planning restrictions set a maximum building height of 11.5 metres, but the proposed projects would rise well above it. One development on Jonson Street would place about 160 apartments across three levels above a supermarket and retail shops, reaching 16 metres. A second Jonson Street project would stand 21 metres high and include up to 50 apartments and retail space. A third project at the entrance to the town centre on Butler Street would provide about 70 units in a 14-metre mixed-use building.

Mayor Sarah Ndiaye said the state process could override the council's development control plan. "It feels like I've been screaming into the wind about this for some time," she told ABC North Coast Breakfast. She said residents did not understand the scale of the change beginning to take place, adding that larger developments could bypass council rules and the community discussion that normally accompanies them.

I don't think people are aware of what kind of change we're starting to see.

· Sarah NdiayeShe warned residents about the scale of proposed development in Byron Bay.

Brooke Crowl of People of Byron said the projects risked changing "the very nature and character of what Byron is." Byron Bay, she said, was not the Gold Coast, Coffs Harbour or Port Macquarie. The construction could turn the town into a development site for five years.

the very nature and character of what Byron is

· Brooke CrowlThe People of Byron representative said the projects could transform the town.

The department said regional communities needed more affordable housing and that every state-significant project underwent a rigorous merit assessment, with opportunities for the community and council to comment. It said 492 such proposals were under consideration across New South Wales, with potential for 152,000 homes. Ndiaye questioned whether expensive central Byron Bay apartments would provide the affordable housing the region needs, while locals also fear the busy tourist town lacks the infrastructure for more development.

We're not the Gold Coast, we're not Coffs Harbour or Port Macquarie.

· Brooke CrowlShe contrasted Byron Bay with other Australian coastal centres.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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