A landmark new suburb on Orange's eastern outskirts will transform one of the main entrances to the city.
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The new development will be housed on vacant farm land off Redmond Place, which is to the back of the old Bunnings building in the city's east.
Orange City Council and Landcom chalked up a key milestone towards building the new, 300-lot residential precinct designed to deliver diverse and affordable housing in Orange.
After signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in March, 2023 to explore development opportunities, Council and Landcom have now signed a Project Delivery Agreement (PDA) which cements the partnership and details future plans for the Redmond Place site.
The PDA outlines the plans for a new 25-hectare precinct on Orange's eastern outskirts alongside Redmond Place. The estate will contain at least 300 homes. At least 20 per cent will be designated as affordable housing.
Orange mayor Jason Hamling said the significant step was a sign of progress towards "building a fairer" Orange, as the cost of living crisis continues to grip large parts of regional NSW.
"The Council has heard loud and clear that housing affordability is the number one issue facing the Orange community," Cr Hamling said.
"We've got a long way to go, but the signing of this PDA shows we're making steady progress on delivering solutions.
"We want this new housing area to set the standard for contemporary new housing estates in Orange."
It is anticipated to take approximately 24 months to turn the first sod.
What's included?
The new Redmond Place precinct is expected to contain more than 300 residences.
Council hopes the development will deliver a mix of housing types, ranging from single dwellings on standard sized blocks to duplexes, town houses and residential flats.
"The first step towards delivering affordability is recognising that not everyone needs a 750 square metre block with a four-bedroom house. This project is about diversity," Cr Hamling added.
There are plans to achieve a minimum 5-Star Green Star Community Rating, with ambition to set a benchmark of 6-Stars, a statement released by council states.
"When implemented correctly, this will not just provide a more sustainable, liveable community, but also reduce the tangible daily cost of living for residents," it reads.
How will it work?
Landcom is the NSW Government's land and property development organisation.
It is a state-owned corporation working with government and the private and not-for-profit sectors to deliver "exemplary" housing projects that provide social and economic benefits to the people of NSW, the council statement states.
Landcom helps the NSW Government achieve its urban management objectives by taking a lead role in improving the supply, diversity and affordability of new housing. Its ambition is to create more affordable and sustainable communities.
The Project Delivery Agreement (PDA) outlines the intention of Orange City Council to contribute the land for the project while Landcom would pay for the upfront costs of re-zoning and developing the site. As blocks are sold, council would then share in the profits of the project.
Under the PDA, Landcom would act as developer and manage the work of re-zoning, creating a master plan, dealing with approvals, marketing the project and selling the housing blocks.
Work on how to provide essential services like water, sewer and power to the site is in a preliminary stage, while the next steps will be to make a start towards re-zoning the site, currently zoned for a mix of bulky goods and water catchment, for residential use.
"Landcom has an ambitious agenda to get shovels in the ground and more people into homes - to make a real difference in NSW," Landcom CEO Alexander Wendler said.
"This project will build hundreds of homes in Orange."
Housing crisis across NSW
When households spend more than 30 per cent of their income on either rent or mortgage payments it is considered they are at risk of what's called 'housing stress'.
This means they are likely to struggle to pay for their essential basic household needs such as food, clothes, healthcare and transport costs.
Affordable housing is housing that suits the needs of low to moderate income households. It is priced (whether mortgage repayments or rent) so these households are able to meet their other essential living costs.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully said more housing in regional NSW means people will have a choice to live and work in "the communities they grew up in", while also allowing regional communities to grow.
"The housing crisis isn't a Sydney crisis, it is statewide, and the plans we are announcing will mean more people in Orange will have a safe and affordable place to call home," Mr Scully said.
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