OUR UNIQUE, DIVERSE AND CULTURALLY RICH COMMUNITIES Planning priority 3 – Deliver housing supply, choice and diversity Our housing needs are as diverse as the people who make up the MidCoast community and will continue to change into the future. The MidCoast has one of Australia’s oldest populations with a median age of 52, well above the NSW and Australian median of 38. With high levels of retirement and unemployment, low levels of educational attainment and low income levels compared to other regions, housing affordability and the diversity of housing are particularly important. Being a holiday destination, some coastal villages also experience vacancy rates up to 64%, reflecting the high portion of holiday homes. Tourism accommodation is also experiencing change, with more people choosing to make their homes available to visitors, through on-line booking services. In addition, the three sets of planning controls applying to the MidCoast can lead to inconsistent housing outcomes. The Housing Strategy aims to develop a new planning framework for housing in the MidCoast to address these challenges. It examines: • housing for an ageing population • making housing affordable • catering for tourism, social and community housing • sustainable living. Given the diverse and unique character of the towns and villages across our rural and coastal areas, a new suite of zones is proposed in the Housing Strategy that utilises the full extent of residential zones available. This enables zone intents and planning controls to vary based on the character of each location; providing guidance as we move towards writing the MidCoast LEP and DCP.
MidCoast: Local Strategic Planning Statement
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