Can part of old Byron Hospital to be used for worker accommodation
Published on 17 June 2025
Providing more accommodation for key workers in the Byron Shire was the motivation for a unanimous Council decision to look at the possibility of repurposing a vacant part of the old Byron Bay Hospital.
The refurbished hospital, which is now known as the Byron Co Lab on Arakwal Country, is managed by Social Futures and provides a hub for community-based services.
Byron Shire Mayor, Sarah Ndiaye, said there is the potential for development of accommodation for up to 19 key workers after plans to lease the area for a tertiary education campus did not eventuate.
“Our nurses, health support staff, firefighters and other emergency services personnel are really struggling to find affordable accommodation in the area where they work,” Mayor Ndiaye said.
“The housing crisis really became apparent during COVID and was made worse by the floods in 2022 and since then the cost of living has escalated to make the problems even worse.
“Key workers who I have spoken to cannot find affordable accommodation and that is not ok because these people look after us in some of our most difficult and challenging times.
“Staff will now work with Social Futures to do a feasibility study on the repurposing of a section of the old hospital and if it is possible we will seek the support of the NSW and Australian Governments to deliver the project.
“I am hoping the State and Federal governments will see the merit in this project when the time comes because I think it will significantly help with the recruitment and retention of key workers in the health and emergency services sectors,” Mayor Ndiaye.
“It’s an outcome that aligns perfectly with the genesis of the original sale of the old hospital to the Council for $1, with the NSW Government at the time saying it had to be repurposed for the benefit of the community.
“I don’t think anyone could argue that providing accommodation for our key workers is not a benefit to the community,” Mayor Ndiaye said.