Planning for people, not profit

blog, Eurobodalla

Alison Worthington Greens for Eurobodalla
Our region is experiencing a housing crisis due to a housing shortage and rising housing prices, exacerbated by increased interest in real estate in regional areas because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
On council we will  prioritise developing a Homelessness and Affordable Housing Strategy to alleviate housing stress for our residents.
People from all walks of life are experiencing housing stress ranging from difficulty paying the rent or mortgage, overcrowding, struggling to find suitable rental accommodation and many are experiencing homelessness.
We’ve also heard from people who have secured employment in Eurobodalla Shire being unable to move here to start work because of the lack of rental accommodation available.

We need Greens on council to ensure there is an urgent audit of all council land suitable for affordable housing development, along with developing a Homelessness and Affordable Housing Strategy, which currently sits in the ESC Local Strategic Planning Strategy 2020-2040 as only a medium-term priority.

Local government does have a role to play in easing the housing crisis

In discussions around the role of local government in easing the housing affordability crisis it’s often heard that “only the state or federal government can fix that” and that councils do not have a responsibility to provide affordable or social housing.

While development of land for housing is taking off in the Eurobodalla, the private development sector plans for profits, not people. We need to council to start planning for the wellbeing of our communities, ensuring everyone has access to the basic human right of secure housing – planning for people, not profit.

It’s going to take urgent action from all levels of government to alleviate the housing stress in our communities.
Local councils can’t opt out here.


It’s time to think more creatively about what it will take for our council to be resourced to support affordable housing.

Greens councillors will make full use of the existing planning rules to get proper benefits for the community from new development.

Councils can directly deliver affordable housing by partnering with a community housing providers (CHP) or state government to build affordable housing on council-owned land. Councils should also use financial contributions made through the development process (e.g. affordable housing levies or voluntary planning agreements) to contribute to the funding for either of the above.

We can’t afford to leave this housing shortage unattended for any longer. Housing is a basic right and we need to ensure that everyone in our community has both secure tenancy and choice around that.