Bega Urban Land Release
A proposal to rezone more land for housing.
| Project type: | Planning |
| Project schedule: | In progress |
| Proposed completion date: | 31 December 2026 |
Rezoning Proposal
A proposal to rezone 279 hectares south of Bega has been developed, drawing on the recommendations of the Bega Structure Plan. The Bega Urban Land Release Planning Proposal aims to support the creation of new homes, shops and public spaces, laying the foundation for 25 to 30 years of housing supply in the Bega Valley Shire.
The proposal outlines the development of three new neighbourhoods, supported by essential infrastructure such as roads, utilities and open spaces. If approved, the rezoning could enable the construction of approximately 2,230 dwellings.
The land proposed for rezoning is currently zoned as rural, rural residential or productivity support. The new zoning would include a mix of low-density and rural residential housing, commercial areas and public open spaces.
Funded by the NSW Government’s Regional Housing Strategic Planning Fund, the proposal and its supporting technical studies were prepared by specialists in collaboration with Council staff, government agencies, and informed by community feedback to the Bega Structure Plan.
The NSW Government approved the proposal to move forward to the next stage and consultation with the community and government agencies has been completed. The public exhibition period ran from 22 September to 2 November 2025 with 137 submissions received A community consultation report(PDF, 3MB) has been prepared to document and discuss the issues raised in submissions. Council will consider all feedback before making a final decision on the rezoning.
Three new neighbourhoods
- Western precinct - click here(PDF, 487KB) more information on proposals for the Western precinct
- Central precinct - click here(PDF, 517KB) more information on proposals for the Central precinct
- Eastern precinct - click here(PDF, 552KB) more information on proposals for the Eastern precinct.
Housing diversity
The proposed rezoning will enable the development of more than 2,000 new homes, offering a variety of densities, lot sizes and dwelling types to meet the needs of first home buyers, families, single-person households, seniors and key workers.
In addition to traditional detached houses, the proposal allows for a broad mix of housing options, including:
- Boarding houses
- Co-living arrangements
- Attached and detached dual occupancies
- Group homes
- Hostels
- Multi-dwelling housing
- Secondary dwellings (granny flats)
- Semi-detached dwellings
- Seniors housing
- Independent living units
- Residential care facilities
- Shop-top housing
This diverse range of housing types is designed to support a more inclusive and adaptable community.
Affordable housing
As part of the proposed Bega Urban Land Release rezoning, Council is exploring ways to encourage the delivery of affordable housing in the area.
To support this goal, a Draft Affordable Housing Contribution Scheme has been developed to accompany the rezoning proposal. The scheme outlines how a small portion of the increased land value resulting from rezoning can be invested to help provide affordable homes.
Under the draft scheme, 2% of the uplift in land value would be contributed. These contributions could take the form of monetary payments, completed dwellings or land.
The draft scheme is being publicly exhibited alongside the rezoning proposal. Community feedback gathered during this exhibition period will be reported back to Council before a final decision is made on whether to adopt the scheme.
Council has funded the preparation of the Affordable Housing Contribution Scheme.
Community engagement
The Bega Urban Land Release Planning Proposal and the Draft Affordable Housing Contribution Scheme were publicly exhibited from 22 September to 2 November 2025.
137 members of the community provided feedback through Council’s ‘Have Your Say’ page or in writing to Council during the exhibition.
The themes that were most frequently mentioned in community submissions were:
- Density and urban form
- Environment and biodiversity
- Housing affordability
- Housing support (in principle)
- Infrastructure capacity
- Loss of agricultural land
- Saleyards impact
- Scale too large
- Traffic and congestion
- Walking, cycling and public transport
A community consultation report(PDF, 3MB) has been prepared to provide a detailed record of the issues raised in submissions and additional information about those issues.
Connection to Council's Community Strategic Plan
The Bega Urban Release Planning Proposal aligns with Council’s Community Strategic Plan through the following themes and strategies:
Theme A – Our Community
- Strategy A6: Acknowledge and collaborate with local groups to advance local priorities - environmental impact, community infrastructure, housing and economic growth.
Theme C – Our Environment
- Strategy C2: Ensure land use planning and resource use supports sustainable growth whilst protecting the quality of the natural environment and our rural landscapes.
