Next milestone reached for breakthrough Redmond Place precinct

Orange City Council and Landcom have reached the next milestone towards building a new residential precinct that aims to deliver diverse and affordable housing in Orange.

After signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in March this year 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% will be designated as affordable housing.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully has welcomed the latest progress.

“This is another example of the NSW Government putting Landcom to work to deliver the homes we need for regional NSW," Mr Paul Scully said. “The housing crisis isn’t a Sydney crisis, it is statewide, and the plans we are announcing today, will mean more people in Orange will have a safe and affordable place to call home.”

“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.”

Orange Mayor Jason Hamling is looking for ward to the Redmond Place project taking shape.

“The signing of the PDA was a sign of progress towards building a fairer community for everyone in Orange,” Cr Jason Hamling said. “The Council has heard loud and clear that housing affordability is the number one issue facing the Orange community. “

“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.

“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.”

Landcom CEO Alexander Wendler is pleased the PDA has been signed.

“Landcom has an ambitious agenda to get shovels in the ground and more people into homes – to make a real difference in NSW,” Mr Wendler said. “This project will build hundreds of homes in Orange, while we will continue to work with Councils, and other partners to find more sites to do even more across the state.”

FACT SHEET

• The new Redmond Place precinct is expected to contain more than 300 residences. It is envisioned that 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 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 rezoning 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 masterplan, dealing with approvals, marketing the project and selling the housing blocks.

• There’s already been some preliminary work on assessing how services like water, sewer, and power will be connected to the site, and 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. It is anticipated to take approximately 24 months to turn the first sod.

• The 17 October Council meeting approved the terms of the PDA, which was signed 17 November

• 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 ‘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.

• There are plans to achieve a minimum 5-Star Green Star Community Rating, with ambition to set a benchmark of 6-Stars. When implemented correctly, this will not just provide a more sustainable, liveable community, but also reduce the tangible daily cost of living for residents.

• This project is for the residents of Orange, so there will be opportunities for the community to have their say about what’s important to them as the design comes together.

• 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.

• 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.