Old Byron Hospital Redevelopment

NSW Health decommissioned the old hospital site in Byron when the new hospital was built. NSW Health had planned to sell off the site for redevelopment.

The local community rallied together and developed a proposal to NSW Health to keep the building in community hands.

The basis of the community’s proposal was that the building would be used to provide vital and currently lacking welfare, social, cultural and educational services.

NSW Health accepted the community’s proposal and sold the proposal to Council in 2019 for $1.

In 2021, Council awarded a tender for the ongoing management of the site to Social Futures – a not for profit social impact organisation based in Northern NSW who connect people to the support they need, when they need it.

Once the redevelopment of the site is complete, it will be managed by Social Futures, who will be supported by a Community Advisory Group (currently working on the project) and a Tenant Site Management Committee (to be established closer to opening).

Currently, community service providers are forced to operate in more affordable locations outside of Byron Bay.

This means that the most disadvantaged Byron residents face barriers in accessing in services.  

These barriers include:

• Distance
• Travel costs
• Lack of public transport.

The project will bring these vital community services to the heart of Byron Bay, improving social cohesion and connectivity.

Having different service providers in a centralised 'hub', will mean recipients can see and access a variety of services, such as health and education.

The previous hospital kitchen may also be used as a commercial kitchen, available for hire. The existing cafe/kiosk may be retained as a cafe, to service students and other site users.