Uralla takes next step on affordable housing

Published on 12 September 2025

Uralla Shire Council is inviting the community to take part in the next stage of the Hill Street Affordable Housing Project, with the first community information session to be held on Monday 15 September, 6–7pm at the Uralla Courthouse.

The Hill Street site — behind the Uralla Post Office, and currently home to four older units and a vacant block — has long been identified as an opportunity to create more affordable housing for the community. In May 2025, Council resolved to transfer the land to Homes North Community Housing, conditional on government grant funding being secured. With oversight from Homes NSW (part of the Department of Communities and Justice), the land will be safeguarded for affordable housing in perpetuity. A $65,000 grant from ACEN Australia is supporting early planning and design work.

Mayor Robert Bell said the project was about meeting local needs in a way that works for Uralla:

“Housing costs are putting real pressure on many households in our shire. This project is about taking local action so that Uralla remains a place where people from all walks of life can live, work, and belong.”

Council recently endorsed a governance framework for the project, including the establishment of a Project Advisory Committee. The Committee is designed to ensure those most directly impacted — including neighbours and tenants — have a seat at the table alongside Councillors and a local service provider. Draft Terms of Reference for the Committee are now on exhibition for community feedback.

Homes North has also made their Allocation Strategy for the development available for public exhibition. The strategy sets out how the new homes will be offered, ensuring households with a strong local connection to Uralla are at the front of the queue. Future homes will be available to Council’s existing tenants at Hill Street, as well as key workers providing essential services in Uralla, older, at-risk locals needing accessible homes, and local households experiencing housing stress.

General Manager Toni Averay said the governance arrangements were designed to balance transparency, safeguards, and community input:

“This model has been developed by State and Commonwealth governments, the community housing sector, and pioneering councils like Shoalhaven City Council. Homes NSW provides the probity safeguards, Homes North brings the expertise and access to grant funding, and Council is leading community engagement. Together, this framework ensures transparency and accountability while giving the community a voice through the new Project Advisory Committee.

Homes North CEO Maree Mackenzie welcomed the opportunity for community involvement:

“The Draft Allocation Strategy has been developed in close consultation with Council to make sure the future homes meet the needs of the Uralla community. Just as importantly, by collaborating on the Principles of Design we can embed the things that matter most to Uralla — community cohesion and care, environmental sustainability, and respect for the surrounding heritage.”

Executive Director, of Programs and Partnerships at Homes NSW, Humair Ahmad, highlighted their oversight role:

“Homes NSW plays an important role in providing technical assistance and ensuring that the properties are used for affordable housing in perpetuity. We do this by registering an interest on the land title and overseeing agreements with the community housing provider. We are pleased to be working with Council and Homes North to help deliver new housing outcomes for the Uralla community.”

A spokesperson for ACEN Australia noted their early support:

“We’re proud to support the Hill Street project through early planning and design funding. It’s an opportunity to create another long-term legacy benefit for Uralla, alongside our investment in renewable energy projects in Uralla Shire”

The first community information session will provide an overview of the project, explain the Principles of Design, and outline next steps.

The draft documents are available at https://yoursay.uralla.nsw.gov.au/hill-street-project and at the Council office. Submissions are open until 28 September 2025.