Clarence Valley Council is seeking community feedback on housing in the region through a survey asking ratepayers where, when, and how housing should be delivered across the Clarence Valley.

The housing strategy will take a fresh look at our housing needs into the future, including an audit of supply and demand, population projections and demographic trends expected over the next 20 years.

Building on and superseding the Clarence Valley Settlement Strategy 1999 and the Maclean Lower Catchment Growth Management Strategy 2012, the housing strategy will provide a long-term vision for the delivery of housing to meet the current and future needs of our community.

The strategy will explore how to better provide more diverse, affordable, liveable, and resilient homes into the future.

Such a strategy is needed as the Clarence Valley is undergoing changes due to cost-of-living pressures, demographics, the increasing ability to work from home or hybrid working arrangements and the response to the pandemic.

The changes come against the backdrop of increasing natural disasters, climate change, bushfires, floods, extreme heat, and coastal risks.

To prepare the housing strategy council received a $150,000 state government grant to guide the delivery of diverse, affordable, liveable, and resilient housing across the Clarence Valley to meet the needs of our changing community.

The 10-minute survey will help council understand the demographics of the Clarence Valley and the current issues regarding housing supply and demand, diversity and choice, affordability, and the importance of other issues such as accessibility and distance to work, shops, service, open space and transport which will guide council plans for future housing.

To complete the survey visit https://www.clarenceconversations.com.au/housing-strategy?fbclid=IwAR3AF1K5jlEiTCiWaaoPwVQOJ-NYGzrLdNZY_WPuJg_UIIcL7-8x3JFRd0Y

Council has invited members of the community to submit ideas that complement the housing strategy by emailing council staff listed on the survey page.

The housing strategy survey closes on July 3.

Then from July to September council’s project team will review the community survey and report back to council on key outcomes at the September council meeting.

After the draft housing strategy is adopted by council it will go on public exhibition for six weeks, where the community can provide feedback, then the outcomes of the survey and housing strategy will be considered by council for adoption at the December 2023 meeting.