BALLINA GROWTH FREEZE FACES ROADBLOCK — FOR NOW
A Greens push to halt future residential expansion in Ballina Shire has hit a roadblock — for now.
Thursday’s council meeting, which carried significant implications for both housing supply and private investment, centred on the long-identified growth area known as CURA C near Tintenbar.
The site — along with two other strategic urban growth areas — has been earmarked for housing for decades.
But two weeks ago, a Greens-led move at a planning committee meeting sought to strip those areas from the council’s long-term planning framework, raising concerns the shire could close the door on future housing.
Thursday’s meeting became a key moment in determining whether that position would hold.
High stakes as developer defends project
With the future of CURA C in doubt, the developer mounted a coordinated defence at the public forum ahead of the meeting.
Ballina News Daily understands millions of dollars have already been invested in planning, technical work and investigations on the site.
Had the Greens push succeeded in full, much of that investment risked being lost — and the project abandoned.
In response, the company brought forward senior representatives, including a development manager and property economist, to outline the project’s merits.
A Balina Shire map of the CURA C site east of Tintenbar
“I understand there’s a healthy level of scepticism towards developers,” the project lead said.
“All I’ve tried to do is provide something that I think is a net benefit to the community.”
The developer told councillors the site was already well advanced and positioned to deliver more attainable housing than coastal locations.
“If a house is selling for a million dollars on the coast, it’s probably going to sell for 50 per cent less here,” he said.
The proposal includes a commitment that 10 per cent of dwellings would be allocated to affordable housing, alongside significant environmental protections.
The meeting also heard that 41 per cent of the site would be preserved as environmental land.
“We’ve allowed for 10 per cent of the dwellings to be affordable… to show everyone that my intentions were genuine.”
An independent property economist told the meeting Ballina was facing a potential housing shortfall.
“There’s a shortfall in the order of around about 1000 dwellings over the next 20 years,” he said.
Meehan’s experience proves influential
Cr Phil Meehan, Main image: Cr Kiri Dicker (centre) with Greens Party colleagues Erin Karsten and Simon Chate.
Cr Phil Meehan, one of the council’s longest-serving members, was absent from the earlier committee meeting where the Greens motion was carried.
Joining Thursday’s meeting via video link, he urged councillors to avoid making a final call before receiving updated planning advice.
“We should receive the report and then make the decision,” he said.
Cr Meehan also pointed to the broader implications of the proposal, particularly the opportunity to secure affordable housing outcomes.
“This is the first time we have experienced a developer… proposing to dedicate land, 10 per cent of the yield, to community housing,” he said.
“To my mind, that is wonderful.”
His contribution helped shift the discussion toward the consequences of removing long-standing growth areas — both for housing supply and for projects already underway.
Mayor stresses need for full understanding
Mayor Sharon Cadwallader said it was critical councillors fully understood what was being proposed before making any final decision.
She said it was important all councillors had a clear understanding of the strategic urban growth areas Cr Dicker was seeking to remove.
The Mayor also pointed to the significance of the project’s mix of environmental protection and affordable housing.
“I’m concerned about community confidence in our process… but we also need to ensure we have all the information,” she said.
Greens push for caution
Cr Kiri Dicker defended the original position, saying councillors needed to rely on independent advice rather than developer-led proposals.
“We need to receive some advice from our planning team… from people that do not have a financial stake in the proposed development,” she said.
She warned externally commissioned reports could rely on assumptions and may not fully reflect council’s own data.
A pause — not a final decision
In the end, councillors did not support removing the CURA C site and other growth areas outright.
Instead, the motion was amended to seek further reports before any final decision is made.
The outcome leaves the sites under consideration while further analysis is carried out.
For now, the Greens-led push to halt future expansion has been slowed — but not settled.
With further reports due next month, the direction of housing growth in Ballina Shire remains very much in play.
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