Estate will help Bright’s housing shortage, says developer

THE Bright Valley development will help address the town’s long-term accommodation woes, according to Will Deague, the developer behind the project. Around 50 attended the development’s sales launch last Thursday on the property outside of Bright, Where the chief executive officer of the Deague Group said the approximately 350-house estate would help tackle housing affordability. “We believe by adding this many houses, it has to add some longer-term rental accommodation and some beautiful houses to Bright,” he said. “In the last three or four years, there's been about 130 new houses built in Bright, so obviously an additional 350 houses done the right way will be a great addition to Bright for the housing affordability issue.” Mr Deague said the properties are “not exactly affordable” but will be below the Bright median house price. “The town needs it,” he said. “It’s busting at the seams for accommodation, and they can't attract doctors, they can't attract people to work at the pub. “I believe it needs some really decent accommodation and the houses and the quality can be brand new.” Mr Deague said the company are working to ensure a mix of investors and owner-occupiers on the estate. “Because we don't have to rush sales, because this project will be delivered over a number of years, we've got time to wait for the owner-occupiers,” he said. According to the Deague Group, the estate will be one of the largest master-planned communities in any subdivision in regional Victoria. Homes on offer range from two bedrooms to five bedroom two-storey houses, with furniture packs available for purchase. Mr Deague said the estate will feature walking trails, playgrounds, an outdoor gym pump tracks and a possible general store. “Every single house and landscaping is designed right down to the last detail,” Mr Deague said. “We're spending a significant amount of money, millions of dollars, on what is going to be the largest masterplan landscape area that you've ever seen in the regions.” The Deague Group predict over 300 jobs will be created during the building phase of the estate. Mr Deague said they had already registered more than 1500 expressions of interest. Guests at the launch included Alpine Shire mayor John Forsyth, councillor Sarah Nicholas and council chief executive officer Will Jeremy, however Cr Forsyth declined to comment on the development. According to Mr Deague, the buildings will adhere to a bushfire attack level rating of 29 across the site, following a recent finalising of a VCAT appeal over a permit condition relating to bushfire standards. “We've done a deal to accept BAL 29 [on the lower section of the property], and that'll obviously be a BAL 29 across the whole site, which will be a benefit for the buyers and their insurance and their sense of wellbeing,” he said. “It adds a significant cost per house, so hopefully we can absorb that in the in the build price and we don't make things more unaffordable, but we're prepared to accept that and move on and get going.” Concerns last year over the loss of trees on the Great Alpine Road due to a road into the estate led to a community petition as well as the formation of Bright’s Gateway Protection Group. Two mature avenue trees are slated for removal while three juvenile trees will be relocated. A nomination for heritage protection of the avenue, as well as other street trees in Bright, was recently accepted for consideration by Heritage Victoria. “We’ve had confirmation yesterday (May 1) that council and VicRoads are going to continue with the application for the entrance which is which I believe is weeks off and the heritage listing doesn't affect that,” Mr Deague said. “Hopefully all these trees get heritage listed, and all the others in Bright. “It's been a contentious issue, and it's been a hard one for us when there's been petitions and 1000s of people signing up and talking about 13 or 15 trees being lost, which never entered our heads to do something like that. “We worked very hard to only lose two trees and, hopefully with the tick from council, we're going to infill with some mature trees in gaps in the avenue behind me, and we're replacing the two trees that are being removed with four trees. “Hopefully it's a net benefit for the beautiful avenue of trees.” Leanne Boyd, president of Bright’s Gateway Protection Group, said they still hope all trees can be retained along the avenue. “They will put in mature trees in and that's great,” she said “But those two trees are 80 years old, you can’t cut them down and replace them somewhere else. “You cut them down, they're gone.” Mr Deague said he expects the first homes to be built on the site by the second half of 2025.

Estate will help Bright’s housing shortage, says developer

Some light, in wake of local despair over Nepal disaster

Alpine Observer, Wednesday, 9 September, 2026

Bright development approved under state government planning framework

Myrtleford Times, Wednesday, 9 September, 2026

Most popular stories

Some light, in wake of local despair over Nepal disaster

Alpine Observer, Wednesday, 9 September, 2026

Bright development approved under state government planning framework

Myrtleford Times, Wednesday, 9 September, 2026