Zac Efron secretly living in Byron Bay while construction on hemp house in Tweed Valley begins

Zac Efron has reportedly taken up residence in Byron Bay while he supervises construction of his sustainable house being built out of hemp blocks in northern New South Wales.

According to the Daily Mail, the 38-year-old Hollywood heavyweight has secretly been living in the coastal town — which Chris Hemsworth and his family also call home — while the first home he has ever owned takes shape.

The High School Musical star purchased a 128 hectare block of rainforest land in Tweed Valley in 2020 and hired Australian environmental designer Joost Bakker to create an off-grid home called ‘Futurecave’.

The reported more than $2 million eco-mansion will be constructed from hemp bricks and natural materials including oyster shells and will be covered with plant ecosystems designed to support insects.

Last month, Bakker confirmed the project had been approved by the Tweed Shire council and was ready to get underway.

“Excited to get started on Zac’s house!” he wrote on Instagram on May 9.

On May 23, Bakker revealed Efron’s kitchen and bathroom joinery would be made using innovative plant-based boards developed through his Plantbord initiative, created from agricultural crop waste.

In December, Bakker said the Ironclaw star was “pushing me and my team to create something truly special”.

“Last year Zac came and met the farmers in Hillston NSW that grew the hemp we will be using for all the joinery, walls, furniture and even curtains + rugs.

“In all this building will use over 80 tonnes of Australian grown hemp and straw.

“Looking forward to sharing the many ideas that will make this building unique.”

In November, Bakker — florist-turned-eco activist — announced that Efron had asked him to design the home after falling in love with his Future Food System, a self sustaining, zero-waste, productive house.

“It’s not everyday of the week that @zacefron asks you to design his home, I am beyond excited! Especially as it will be the first home he has ever owned,” he said on Instagram.

“Zac fell in love with @futurefoodsystem and then our family home in Monbulk and now wants a home of his own + best of all he wants me to push my ideas as far as they can go!

“So here we are - designing and building Zac’s home. Its a dream come true. Every element is pushing my team creatively and I love nothing more than testing so many ideas.”

Bakker said he hopes his hemp blocks will “become mainstream one day”.

“A material that naturally breathes, is anti mould, naturally fire resistant and improves the indoor air Zac will ultimately breathe,” he added.

Efron purchased the rural plot after spending time in Australia during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 and while filming his Emmy-winning Netflix series Down to Earth with Zac Efron: Down Under.

It was also at the time he famously dated an Australian barista he met at a cafe in Byron Bay.