Frequently Asked Questions

Council received $0.5M from the NSW State Government to progress plans to establish a pipeline of housing supply through the Regional Housing Strategic Planning Fund, including:

• Development of structure plans for Bega and Wolumla (complete)
• Development of a Planning Proposal to rezone areas south of Bega township (in progress).
• Consultants engaged to prepare planning proposal and complete technical investigations for bushfire, flooding, traffic, biodiversity and land use conflict.
• Completion of additional investigations by Council officers into contaminated land, Aboriginal cultural heritage, riparian areas, water quality and water supply.
• Development of an Affordable Housing Contribution Plan for the area
• Draft Bega Urban Land Release Planning Proposal on 21 May 2025
• NSW Government approved exhibition of Bega Urban Land Release Planning Proposal (Gateway Determination)
• Additional technical information was completed for flooding risk assessment, Aboriginal cultural heritage, impact on the State road network and biodiversity issues.
• Community consultation, including impacted landowners, completed.

• Finalisation of responses to the State Government Agency feedback.
• Preparation of a report detailing feedback to the exhibition of the Bega Urban Land Release Planning Proposal and Affordable Housing Contribution Plan for Councillors consideration before making a final decision on the rezoning.

Impacted landowners were notified by mail.

Feedback has been received from the following NSW State Government agencies:

• Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Biodiversity and Conservation Science
• Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Heritage NSW
• Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Licensing & Approvals
• Department of Education, School Infrastructure
• Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure
• Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
• Environmental Protection Authority
• Rural Fire Service
• Southern NSW Local Health District
• State Emergency Service
• Transgrid
• Transport for NSW.

Bega Local Aboriginal Land Council, Djirringanj Elders Federation and other Registered Aboriginal Parties have been consulted.

In addition to the owners of the 26 impacted properties, 21 other landowners in the vicinity of the planning proposal area have also been notified of the project in relation to the preparation of specialist studies.

Council staff from strategic planning, planning, certification (bushfire specialist), community and economic development, water and sewer, transport, waste and recreation infrastructure, communications and corporate resilience have been involved in various aspects of the project.

The Bega Urban Land Release Planning Proposal and the Draft Affordable Housing Contribution Scheme were publicly exhibited from 22 September to 2 November 2025.

Members of the community were encouraged to provide feedback through Council’s ‘Have Your Say’ page or write to Council.

The exhibition was promoted by a media release which was published in print media and online news sites and a dedicated project page was set up on Council’s website.

Details of the planning proposal and engagement process were shared via Council’s newsletter, social media, radio advertising, posters with QR codes in public areas, rates notices and digital advertising in the Bega District News and Merimbula News Weekly.

Affected and adjoining landowners were notified in writing by post.

Well attended community drop-in sessions were held at the Bega Commemorative Civic Centre on Thursday 2 October 2025, from 3:00pm to 5:00pm and Tuesday 7 October 205 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. 

If land is rezoned from rural to residential its value may increase.

The proposed zone change does not affect a property’s ordinary rates unless the NSW Valuer General reviews the unimproved land valuation which may increase the unimproved land valuation used for calculating rates.

Existing farming operations and practices can continue on rural land (RU1 or RU2) that is proposed to be rezoned to residential (R2 or R5).

Rezoned land can still be used for existing lawful purposes.