ResidentialHarrison CaithnessWed 22 Jul 26
NSW Unveils Plans for 1300 Northern Rivers Homes
Plans to deliver about 1300 homes across two major housing projects on NSW’s Northern Rivers have been revealed.
The state government said about 800 homes would be developed on the 3.6ha former Tweed Heads Hospital site [rendering above], while a further 500 flood-resilient homes are planned for a 72ha site at East Lismore.
The latter proposal come more than four years after consecutive flood events displaced about 2000 people in the region, about 800km north of Sydney.
A development application has been filed for the first stage of the project, comprising about 100 homes on a 5ha parcel. The broader masterplanned community will include 20 per cent affordable housing.
Landcom, working with the NSW Reconstruction Authority, has invested an estimated $75 million in preparing the site after it was acquired from Southern Cross University through the state’s $100-million Resilient Lands Program.
Xonstruction is under way on 50 build-to-rent homes next to the masterplanned community. Completion on that project is expected later this year.
NSW planning minister Paul Scully said the East Lismore neighbourhood had been planned with long-term resilience in mind.
“East Lismore is about creating a community designed for the future, with safer homes close to jobs, education and essential services,” he said.
Meanwhile, Landcom has acquired the former Tweed Heads Hospital site from NSW Health after the new $732-million Tweed Valley Hospital at Cudgen opened.
Subject to approvals, construction is expected to begin in 2029 after a development application is filed next year.
The state said the redevelopment of the site was part of a broader strategy to unlock housing across surplus government land, with up to 12,000 homes identified across 74 state-owned sites.
“The former Tweed Hospital site was at the centre of health care for more than 50 years, supporting local families through some of the most important moments of their lives,” Scully said.
“This site will continue to serve the community by delivering much-needed housing.”
