By Jenel Hunt
Warwick is on the cusp of acquiring new social and affordable housing to support vulnerable women.
At an information session of the Southern Downs Regional Council on 6 March in Stanthorpe, a hook-up between councillors and parties involved in a proposed development brought the plan into clearer focus.
Joining councillors and officers on a video conferencing call were Dianne Estreich from WIN Housing Projects, Alicia Follent from Community Housing Limited and Louise MacPherson from Wolter Consulting (the town planning consultants for the project).
Ms Estreich said the site, at 9 Law Road, was in a residential area, adjoining a council park and in reasonably close proximity to the Warwick Town Centre. She said a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) had been lodged and was in the consultation phase.
MID is a process for infrastructure like housing where development applications are not lodged with the relevant council but are managed by the Queensland Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works. This means that the council is a key stakeholder but does not have any role in the actual assessment or decision-making regarding the Ministerial Infrastructure Designation.
Southern Downs mayor Vic Pennisi said that, although housing was not a core business for the council, people were, and he was keen to facilitate the business.
“The Southern Downs has opportunities for quite a lot of housing and we are very open to considering proposals that may come forward from providers of that housing,” he said.
WIN Housing Solutions, as the developer, will soon hand over to the Community Housing Limited, which will complete the project.
Ms Estreich said the housing was to be built to a high standard, with a mix of two-bedroom and three-bedroom dwellings within the 35 single storey modular homes.
“Modular homes are proposed to fast-track the delivery,” she said.
“Each dwelling will have exclusive use private areas surrounding them. Also, there will be a range of communal open spaces throughout the development.
“Each home will have a carport and 28 visitor spaces will be scattered throughout. Setbacks to front and side boundaries are consistent with the planning scheme.”
She said the consultation phase for the project was ending on 15 March and once any issues had been addressed and two new lots had been created – expected to happen by the end of April – Community Housing Limited would take over the project.“
Councillor Andrew Gale asked about the methodology that would be employed to select tenants. Would preference be given to people who already lived in Warwick or would they be brought in from other regions?
Ms Follent, from Community Housing Limited, said the allocated target cohort was older women but as far as the supply of housing was concerned, it was a mixture of social housing and affordable housing.
“With the social housing, we’re required to work within the State Government’s Housing Register, but there’s a bit more flexibility in the affordable housing segment so we can specifically advertise and select tenants from within the region,” she said.
She said a benefit was that the movement of people to the new housing would free up other housing within the community.
Councillor Sheryl Windle asked if there had been any investigation regarding the possibility of the local bus service having a stop at the area.
Ms Follent said although it would be expected that people who were still working would have a vehicle, transportation was also considered.
“There’s different solutions in different communities, but this is done on a case-by-case basis. Often people have Home Care packages so they get a lot of assistance from other groups, or older people can get transport to their door as they age in place.”
Council’s planning and environmental services manager Scott Riley said there had been conversations with the bus co-ordinator who had indicated the service could re-think their route to include the street.
Cr Stephen Tancred asked what financial hurdles were involved for tenants and was assured the rental bond was the same as within the private market (comparable to four weeks’ rent), with the possibility of bond loans being provided by the Department of Housing.
For social housing customers the rental cost was 25 per cent of their income, plus rental assistance, and for affordable housing it was capped at 30 per cent.
Ms Follent said other projects were also being actively sought in the region.
“We have a meeting with someone else about another 20 properties in Warwick. In our role as a housing provider, we’re trying to maximise the amount of funding we can achieve,” she said.
“I note that you [the council] have some sites you’ve put out recently that we’re responding to.”
She encouraged the council to advocate directly to the Housing Minister to help increase the amount of money being funnelled into the region.
“We have two different types of State funding and we have federal funding as well. I know from my own company we are definitely interested in your region and what we can do there.”
Speaking on the type of dwellings to be used for the project, the council Planning Director said the project’s footprint was half what would normally be seen in residential areas and was being accomplished without going to multi-storey, higher density living.
“The challenge is to start having that conversation [higher density options] with the community,” Mr Riley said.
“If it’s well designed, density can work for us in terms of those who need affordable housing,” he said.
A report was due to be presented at yesterday’s (13 March) ordinary council meeting for the council to consider making a submission to the Ministerial Infrastructure Designation proposal.
