While the concept of using air space was included in Greater Shepparton City Council’s Affordable Housing Strategy, we are told that the concept and location was proposed by the housing providers Wintringham and Beyond Housing.
As Beyond Housing submitted to council during hearings on the proposed sale or gifting of the air space, land is in short supply in Greater Shepparton, and more expensive.
It is hard to quibble with this statement, given that after years of concerns being raised by property developers, there is now an acceptance that the release of land hasn’t kept pace with markedly increased demand.
There is a desperate need for social housing and there is a big pool of funding available including $45 million for fast-track projects in our municipality, which has been identified as an area of urgent need.
The current proposals include the car park development and a 45-dwelling complex on land owned by council on Parkside Dve.
Without getting into the merits of either, they will make a small dent in the number of homes needed.
Now is a time for community, council and providers to work together to find solutions.
This should have been the first step in the process, establishing the need and engaging the community in creative solutions. Instead, we have moved directly to taking sides over proposed social housing developments.
I’m happy to take some of the blame for that.
The Victorian Government’s Big Housing Build announcement should have triggered a much more robust conversation. Collectively we all missed an opportunity to better understand and respond to the housing crisis in our own community.
While many people have opposed current plans, many have learnt a lot about the housing issues and are now advocates for more social housing.
We should harness that support to identify other opportunities.
If location and public benefit are key considerations, why not combine community infrastructure with community housing?
The gateway project to reconnect the CBD to the Shepparton Railway Station via an overpass is worth a look.
There is sufficient disused land on the western side of the rail precinct to explore an integrated development with a mix of uses including social housing.
There must be more opportunities, and there should be an effort made to accumulate ideas and present options to the community, who might just want to help find solutions.
Darren Linton is Chief Correspondent at McPherson Media Group.
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